Los Angeles, March 24 -- A jury in California has ordered Bill Cosby to pay USD 19.25 million in damages to a former waitress after finding he allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her back in 1972.

The jury awarded the woman USD 19.25 million in damages as Cosby navigates financial woes caused by a series of lawsuits from women with rape accusations, many of which were filed under state laws that extended the window to sue for sexual assault alleged to have occurred decades ago. She could be paid more depending on whether jurors decide to grant punitive damages, meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious misconduct, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the complaint, the woman met Cosby in her 30s when she worked a...