A man who was mistakenly told by a health clinic that he was HIV positive was awarded $1.4 million by an Oklahoma jury last week. In 1993 an Oklahoma City-County Health Department employee told Anthony Northcutt, 40, that he was infected with the virus that causes AIDS. In fact, at the time of the clinic's diagnosis he was HIV negative. The clinic had confused Northcutt's results with another patient's.

Northcutt sued the health facility for negligence and emotional distress, as he became depressed and suicidal after the misdiagnosis. Tragically, Northcutt is now HIV positive after acquiring the virus from unprotected sex during the four years he thought he was ill.