A man who suffered temporary paralysis after having spine surgery received a $23.87 million verdict, Fox 43 reported Sept. 27.
James Spangler had a laminoplasty at WellSpan York (Pa.) Hospital in October 2019. During the procedure his neurosurgeon, Joseph Krzeminski, MD, mistakenly put a screw into the patient's spinal cord, according to the report.
When Mr. Spangler woke up, he couldn't move, and more than 10 hours passed before he had an MRI and another 12 hours before he had another surgery. He underwent years of physical therapy before being able to regain some mobility, Fox 43 reported.
A jury awarded the unanimous verdict after an eight-day trial. It is the largest medical malpractice verdict in York County's history.
In a comment to Fox 43, the hospital said, "We are disappointed in the verdict given the evidence that was presented. Options for appeal are being reviewed and therefore we will not comment further on active litigation. WellSpan Health remains fully committed to providing safe, high-quality care for all of our patients."