Officials say a jury verdict at Madison this week awarding more eight million dollars is the largest medical malpractice award since the state Supreme Court tossed out caps on damages last summer.

The Dane County jury made the award to Jessica Greenfield of Waupun. She's had to use a feeding tube since a 2000 surgery for acid reflux left her stomach and intestines unable to function.

The award included 4.25 million dollars for pain and suffering and $82,000 to Greenfield's son for loss of companionship with his mother.

Those noneconomic damages would have been limited to $445,000 until July, when the state Supreme Court declared the limit unconstitutional.

Governor Doyle vetoed in December a bill to reinstate limits. The measure would have limited noneconomic damages at $450,000 for adults and $550,000 for minors.

Doyle says the proposal is too similar to the cap the high court called arbitrary and unfair to the most seriously injured victims.