$23.87 Million Verdict for Mechanic Left Near-Quadriplegic When Surgeon Ignored Spinal Cord Alarms
Won by Ross Feller Casey.
A York County jury awarded James Spangler a record $23.87 million after neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Krzeminski inserted a screw into his spinal cord during a routine back procedure at WellSpan York Hospital and kept operating despite active monitoring alarms signaling catastrophic nerve damage.
What happened
James Spangler was 58 years old and working as a Harley-Davidson mechanic in Manchester, Pennsylvania when he went to WellSpan York Hospital in October 2019 for a laminoplasty to relieve spinal stenosis. The procedure is intended to create more space in the spinal canal and relieve pressure on the cord. It ended with Spangler unable to move his limbs.
During the surgery, neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Krzeminski mistakenly placed a screw directly into Spangler's spinal cord. The intraoperative monitoring system, which tracks nerve signals in real time to catch exactly this kind of error, triggered alarms signaling potential neurological compromise. According to testimony at trial, Krzeminski did not stop. He continued the procedure and closed the incision.
Spangler woke up from surgery paralyzed in all four limbs. More than 22 hours passed before the medical team returned him to the operating room for corrective surgery. By then the spinal cord damage was permanent. Spangler now has minimal voluntary movement and sensation in his lower body and requires around-the-clock care for every daily activity. Krzeminski retired shortly after the incident.
Ross Feller Casey partner Iddo Harel tried the case before Judge Matthew Menges. Over eight days of testimony, Harel presented evidence that both the initial screw misplacement and the 22-hour delay in follow-up surgery were departures from the standard of care. The jury deliberated for roughly one hour before returning a unanimous verdict.
The $23.87 million award is the largest published medical malpractice verdict in York County history, more than tripling the county's previous high. Insurance Journal and the York Dispatch both reported it as a record at the time of the verdict in September 2024.
Sources
This account is drawn from contemporaneous public reporting and the court record.
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