After hearing hours of testimony from a parade of doctors, nurses and medical experts, it took the 12 jurors hearing the Paula Parker medical malpractice trial just over 90 minutes to reach a verdict Wednesday.

The jury found Mrs. Parker's doctors were not negligent in their treatment of her.

Mrs. Parker, a 1976 graduate of Hickory High School in Hermitage, died nine years ago at the age of 35 in the hospital of Sharon Regional Health System of a blood clot in her lung, caused by complications from the Caesarean-section birth of her son three weeks earlier at Washington Hospital in Washington County.

"We're very pleased with the verdict," said Ronald Puntil, the Pittsburgh lawyer who represented the six doctors.

"From our viewpoint, it is a great relief," said Dr. Michael H. Zinsser. "We're happy, relieved." Zinsser added it was the only obstetrical death in the history of the group practice, which is now affiliated with UPMC.

During closing arguments, Puntil said his clients gave Mrs. Parker what they thought was the proper care.

"This is a very serious case," he began, "because a young lady died. My clients also take it very seriously."

Mrs. Parker, he said, showed no signs of deep vein thrombosis, the disease that led to her death.

"The death of a person is a terrible thing. But being accused of causing the death of a person is a terrible thing, too," he said.

The trial lasted for more than a week. Visiting nurses from Sharon Regional Health System's Home Health Agency were also named in the suit, but settled the case for $82,000 the day before the trial started.

Margaret and Ronald Tonnessen, Mrs. Parker's sister and brother-in-law, are the administrators of her estate. The Tonnessens had no comment on Wednesday's verdict. They had sought compensation for medical and funeral expenses and unspecified damages.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at: ateutsch@sharonherald.com