Michael Trunk and Gary Zakeosian win nearly $2.8M for woman injured by medical malpractice

Kline & Specter’s Michael Trunk and Gary Zakeosian waited long into the night last Friday, but when a jury reached a verdict at 9 p.m. after five hours of deliberations it was for the plaintiff – a nearly $2.8 million award in a medical malpractice case for Bonnie Semple of Aston, Pa. The incident that caused her injury occurred in 2009 after Semple, now 56, was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center following an auto accident in which she suffered a lacerated liver. In performing a tracheostomy, the trauma surgeon inserted the tube too high, causing permanent damage to Semple’s larynx and trachea. She now must breathe through a tracheal tube for the rest of her life. Following the verdict, Trunk noted that the hospital and the surgeon refused to take responsibility for the medical error. “It took a jury of 12 citizens of Delaware County to force their accountability,” he said. “As a result of this verdict, Ms. Semple will get the lifetime care she now needs.” Semple is a lifelong resident of Delaware County. She currently lives with her son, Patrick, 24, who is a former Marine and Afghanistan combat veteran who now attends Penn State University.