A.Trunk

Following the death of an 88-year-old man at Abington Memorial Hospital in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a jury has awarded $5 million to his family.

Marvin Summerford was shifted to the hospital in November 2008 due to episodes of fainting. He died less than a week later after radiologists misread an X-ray, causing a feeding tube to fill his left lung. According to plaintiffs’ lawyer Michael A. Trunk, “Marvin Summerford’s lung was pumped full of feeding solution, in essence slowly drowning him while he was fully conscious and his arms were restrained.”

The hospital said in a statement, “This was an unfortunate outcome for the family…However, the hospital is disappointed in the award and is considering post-trial options.”