In a rare step, North Carolina officials have agreed to pay $425,000 to a man who was mistakenly declared dead, zipped into a body bag and sent to a morgue. The payment settles a lawsuit that alleges the mix-up by a medical examiner left Larry Green paralyzed and with severe brain damage. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the state medical examiner’s office, did not answer questions but released a statement saying the negotiated settlement "avoids the emotional toll and expense of a lengthy trial."