Inmate gets $300,000 for lost genitals

OLYMPIA, Wash., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Washington state has agreed to pay $300,000 to an ex-prison inmate whose penis was consumed by a flesh-eating bacteria while he was behind bars.

Charlie Manning told The Seattle Times Monday he will have $115,000 left after paying attorney's fees arising from his lawsuit and other bills. He expects to get the money this week.

"It's been a nightmare," Manning said. "I figured I should settle for what I could get because I just want it behind me. It's unreal. It's like something from Mars."

Manning, 61, was serving a 13-month sentence for a drunken fight when he became ill. The prison doctor wrongly diagnosed his symptoms as an allergic reaction to medication. It turned out he had necrotizing fasciitis and the bacteria destroyed his penis and one testicle.

The Department of Corrections said the suit was settled because going to court would have been more expensive.

"While the end result was unfortunate and Mr. Manning's original diagnosis turned out to be inaccurate, this was the result of a misdiagnosis, not the result of poor medical care," officials said in a statement. "Not all medical judgments -- whether performed in a prison or at a doctor's office -- are infallible."