The lawsuit involving Dr. TJ Harpham never reached a courtroom verdict. After a June 16, 2022 neck adjustment at his Savannah, Georgia office left 28-year-old Caitlin Jensen paralyzed, Harpham’s malpractice insurance carrier paid a claim for an undisclosed amount without disputing it. Harpham then closed his Georgia practice and relocated to South Carolina.1News24. A Session With a Chiropractor Left This Young Woman Unable to Walk or Talk
What Happened in the June 2022 Appointment
Caitlin Jensen, a recent Georgia Southern University graduate who had just earned a master’s in chemistry and biology, visited Harpham’s office on the morning of June 16, 2022 for tension in her neck and jaw that she attributed to the demands of her studies.2Global News. Caitlin Jensen Chiropractor Stroke Paralyzed Georgia Her family described her as a “perfectly healthy young woman” going in.1News24. A Session With a Chiropractor Left This Young Woman Unable to Walk or Talk
Within about 20 minutes of the adjustment, four arteries in her neck dissected, cutting off blood flow to her brain and triggering an acute ischemic stroke followed by cardiac arrest. She lost her pulse for over ten minutes before she was revived.3The Independent. Chiropractor Neck Adjustment Caitlin Jensen4People. Georgia College Graduate Paralyzed Chiropractor Visit Family Says According to Jensen’s family, Harpham called 911 but described her condition as a “reaction” to the treatment.5Daily Mail. Chiropractor Accused Leaving Patient Paralyzed Seen Savannah Airport
Caitlin Jensen’s Injuries
Jensen suffered a traumatic brain injury alongside the stroke and cardiac arrest. Surgeons repaired some of the arterial tears and placed a stent in one artery.4People. Georgia College Graduate Paralyzed Chiropractor Visit Family Says In the weeks after the incident she could communicate only by blinking, wiggling the toes on her left foot, and small nods.2Global News. Caitlin Jensen Chiropractor Stroke Paralyzed Georgia
It took roughly nine months for her to regain the ability to speak.6Sommers Schwartz. When a Chiropractor’s Malpractice Causes a Stroke The adjustment also turned her eyes inward, and specialized glasses and corrective exercises gradually improved her ocular alignment. In February 2023 she was hospitalized again after falling from her wheelchair and suffering a brain bleed. Four years on, she remains wheelchair-bound and uses a standing frame to rebuild muscle and stimulate neural activity.3The Independent. Chiropractor Neck Adjustment Caitlin Jensen
How the Malpractice Claim Was Resolved
The matter did not proceed through a traditional lawsuit to verdict. Harpham’s malpractice insurer paid the claim for an undisclosed sum and did not contest it.1News24. A Session With a Chiropractor Left This Young Woman Unable to Walk or Talk
Jensen’s mother, Darlene, said the payout came nowhere near the actual cost of her daughter’s lifetime care. “Once the legal fees and everything else are paid, the amount of money for Caitlin’s life care isn’t even close to enough,” she said.1News24. A Session With a Chiropractor Left This Young Woman Unable to Walk or Talk Qualifying for Medicare took the family roughly two and a half years.7GoFundMe. Caitlin Jensen Medical Expenses – Top Donations
The available reporting does not show whether the Georgia Board of Chiropractors took any formal disciplinary action against Harpham in connection with the case.
Where Dr. TJ Harpham Is Now
Harpham, who was 42 at the time of the incident, has never spoken publicly about what happened. A Daily Mail reporter approached him at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport in July 2022, where he was seen with his wife and three children boarding a flight to Flint, Michigan. He responded: “No, I have no comment. I have no comment about her or any other patient.” Jensen’s grandmother, Linda Foster, told reporters Harpham never reached out to the family or apologized.5Daily Mail. Chiropractor Accused Leaving Patient Paralyzed Seen Savannah Airport
He closed the Savannah practice and moved to South Carolina.1News24. A Session With a Chiropractor Left This Young Woman Unable to Walk or Talk A provider directory listing identifies a Theodore Harpham, D.C., with an NPI number and a practice address in Indian Land, South Carolina, offering chiropractic services that include treatment for back pain, neck pain, and sciatica.8Dr. Leonardo. Theodore Harpham – About Us
The Risk Behind the Case
Jensen’s injury is a recognized complication of cervical spine manipulation. A vertebral artery dissection occurs when the inner wall of an artery in the neck tears, allowing blood to collect within the vessel wall and potentially block flow to the brain, which can cause a stroke, paralysis, or death. One estimate cited in reporting on Jensen’s case put the incidence at roughly 1 in 20,000 spinal manipulations.3The Independent. Chiropractor Neck Adjustment Caitlin Jensen
Jensen’s doctors told her family the stroke was a “direct result of the neck manipulation.”2Global News. Caitlin Jensen Chiropractor Stroke Paralyzed Georgia In a June 2026 update on the CaringBridge page maintained for Jensen, her grandmother Linda Foster wrote: “Here is my annual plea to never let a chiropractor touch your neck.”9CaringBridge. Caitlin Jensen