A York County jury has awarded a record-breaking $23.87 million to James Spangler, a 58-year-old mechanic from Manchester, Pennsylvania, in a medical malpractice lawsuit against WellSpan York Hospital. The verdict is the largest ever awarded in a medical malpractice case in York County, tripling the previous high.
Spangler's lawsuit stemmed from a botched spinal surgery in October 2019, during which neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Krzeminski mistakenly inserted a screw into Spangler's spinal cord. Despite warnings from the intraoperative monitoring system, Krzeminski continued with the surgery. Spangler woke up from the surgery unable to move, and it took over 22 hours before he was taken back to surgery to correct the error. By then, the damage was irreversible.
Although Spangler has regained some mobility through years of intensive physical therapy, he continues to suffer from permanent and life-altering disabilities and has difficulty walking. Prior to the surgery, Spangler had worked as a mechanic for Harley Davidson for 26 years.
According to Yahoo News, the defendants in the case included WellSpan York Hospital and Dr. Krzeminski, who retired shortly after the incident. The trial lasted eight days, and the jury reached its unanimous verdict in an hour.
Ross Feller Casey, the law firm representing Spangler, stated that the case underscores the grave responsibility that healthcare providers have to their patients and the need for accountability in the healthcare system.