EASTON, Md. - A Talbot County jury has awarded nearly $1 million to a man who claims a general surgeon at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center in Easton failed to properly diagnose and treat a stomach issue during surgery, leading to permanent damage.
Lawyers for the plaintiff say the verdict may be the largest in Talbot County’s history.
According to court documents acquired by WBOC, the patient, 76-year-old Bruce Clarke was brought by ambulance to UMSMC in December of 2022 for complaints of abdominal pain. An x-ray and CT scan reportedly revealed a large and serious hernia. A general surgeon, Dr. John Moon, then recommended an urgent robotic repair, scheduled for Dec. 30.
Following the surgery, Clarke developed significant pain, court records read, and his condition rapidly deteriorated. On Jan. 1, Clarke was transferred to and underwent another surgery at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. During the operation, doctors discovered Clarke’s stomach had been pierced, allegedly during the initial hernia operation at UMSMC.
“The team noted that if the Plaintiff survived, he would likely need additional surgery in the future,” court records read.
Clarke remained hospitalized until Jan. 25, 2023, according to court documents, and was later taken to an outpatient rehabilitation center until Feb. 18, 2023.
Clarke alleged that Moon had perforated his stomach during the hernia surgery, then negligently failed to inspect, diagnose, and repair the puncture. That negligence, Clarke argued, led to further surgery, extensive hospitalization, and chronic health issues.
Clarke’s lawsuit against the hospital and surgeon was filed in May of 2024.
On April 9, 2026, a Circuit Court for Talbot County jury ruled in favor of Clarke in the amount of $970,900. According to Clarke’s legal representatives at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A., the verdict includes damages for pain and suffering, past medical costs, and future medical expenses.
“Our team takes great pride in winning what we believe to be one of the largest, if not the largest, medical malpractice verdicts in the history of Talbot County,” said James D. Cardea, a partner at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. “We are honored to help deliver the life-changing resources our client will need in the future as a result of medical negligence through no fault of his own.”
WBOC reached out to the University of Maryland Medical System on Thursday, which stood by its medical staff.
“Despite the jury’s verdict, we are grateful for the opportunity to defend the care our providers rendered to the plaintiff,” a spokesperson for UMMS said. “While we are sensitive to the fact that Mr. Clarke suffered injuries, we strongly believe the evidence clearly showed that clinicians followed the standard of care in this case.”
This article has been updated to reflect WBOC received a response from the University of Maryland Medical System, not University of Maryland Medical Center as previously reported.
