The Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit announced that a Walton County Grand Jury has returned an indictment charging Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky with second-degree manslaughter in the August 2024 death of a 70‑year‑old man from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
The indictment follows an extensive investigation conducted by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office in coordination with the Office of the State Attorney First Judicial Circuit and additional state and medical authorities.
On August 21, 2024, during what was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, Dr. Shaknovsky removed the victim’s liver instead of his spleen, resulting in catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table.
The Grand Jury found probable cause to charge that the actions taken in the operating room constituted criminal conduct under Florida law.
“Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor,” said Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “The Grand Jury has spoken, and our responsibility is to ensure the charges are carried out through the proper legal process. Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and their unspeakable loss.
“We are committed to seeing this case through with the professionalism and integrity our community expects.”
Dr. Shaknovsky was taken into custody in Miramar Beach on April 13, 2026 and was transported to the Walton County Jail.
Other Victims Of Medical Malpractice?
The Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners (hereinafter “the Board”), by and through its counsel, submitted an Administrative Complaint and Petition for Summary Suspension of License seeking to summarily suspend and revoke or sanction the medical license of THOMAS J. SHAKNOVSKY, D.O. (“Respondent”) under Ala. Code § 34-24-361(e), in which it stated, in part:
- During its investigation, the Board learned of two additional patients who had adverse events after surgical procedures performed by Respondent.
- The first of these events occurred on or about May 12, 2023, and involved Patient “). Respondent was to perform a laparoscopic left adrenalectomy on Patient but removed part of his pancreas instead. As a result, Respondent and Patient entered into a medical malpractice settlement.
- The second adverse event involved Patient “). On or about July 24, 2023, Respondent was scheduled to perform an ileostomy but instead opted to perform a bowel resection on Patient which resulted in a perforation. Patient ‘s health deteriorated post-operatively and she was moved to the ICU where she later died. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration’s investigation indicated that Respondent, along with other hospital physicians, failed to appropriately use diagnostic testing and delayed in ordering imaging to timely treat sepsis.
If you or a loved one suffered harm (or worse) as a result of the medical malpractice in Alabama or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find an Alabama medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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