Bio

Karen Zahka

Karen is a Partner at Trial Lawyers for Justice. She is an experienced and passionate trial lawyer. While she was born and raised in Massachusetts, Karen litigates and tries cases nationwide. She is currently admitted to practice in Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and California. She practices in other jurisdictions via pro hac vice.

Throughout her career, Karen has obtained numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, including but not limited to:

• Nelsy Delgado Juarez v. Massachusetts General Hospital, et al.: In January 2025, Karen obtained an $11.9 million verdict (with interest) in Massachusetts for a 13-year-old girl with epilepsy who was overprescribed an anti-seizure medication, which caused her to suffer from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and partial vision loss.
• Christopher Dugan v. Tesla, et al.: In March 2024, Karen was trial counsel in a landmark $60.6 million verdict in Indiana against Tesla on behalf of a young father who suffered a permanent brain injury and partial foot amputation as a result of a Tesla employee’s negligence.
• In September 2023, Karen obtained a record-setting $20 million settlement in New Hampshire for a client who was overprescribed a gout medication, which caused him to suffer from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. This is reportedly the largest medical malpractice settlement against a private entity in the State of New Hampshire.
• Andrea Larkin, et al. v. Dedham Medical Associates, et al.: Karen was trial counsel and secured an over $40 million verdict (with interest) for a 28-year-old woman who suffered a catastrophic stroke hours after labor and delivery of her daughter. Following this victory, Karen fought to defend and succeeded in defending the verdict from the insurance company’s attempt to overturn it on appeal.
• Edward Xu v. Tufts Medical Center, et al.:  Karen obtained a $24.4 million verdict on behalf of a family whose newborn suffered from severe short bowel syndrome, which requires that he be tube fed for the rest of his life.
• Estate of Joshua Messier v. Bridgewater State Hospital: Karen obtained a $3 million settlement for a family whose 23-year-old disabled son was improperly restrained and killed by correction officers at a Massachusetts prison. This success resulted in sweeping systemic changes to improve the care and treatment of disabled individuals in state prison systems.
• Estate of Zoe Rosenthal v. Charles J. Davignon, et al.: In April 2021, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Karen was trial counsel on a $9.5 million verdict obtained on behalf of two daughters whose mother was negligently killed while walking her dog in a crosswalk near her home. According to the court clerk, this result set a record for a non-economic damages verdict for wrongful death with adult heirs in Western Massachusetts.
• In June 2024, Karen obtained an additional $7.7 million for the Rosenthal family through pursuing insurance bad faith claims against the insurance companies for failure to settle the underlying case when liability and damages were reasonably clear.

While Karen is a zealous advocate for her clients, she is equally committed to supporting them on a personal level. She understands that most clients come to her during some of the most difficult times of their lives and ensures that every step of the legal process is explained clearly and candidly.

Karen received her undergraduate degree from Boston University, where she double majored in Political Science and Psychology. She then graduated from Suffolk University Law School, where she served as the Continuity Editing Assistant for The Journal of Health and Biomedical Law. She graduated from law school with Pro Bono Honors and was recognized for her time and commitment to volunteer legal services programs. Throughout law school, she not only worked full-time but also volunteered her nights and weekends with several non-profit programs dedicated to empowering survivors of domestic violence and assisting them in navigating the legal system to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Her professional accolades include:

• Leader in the Law – Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (May 2025) for obtaining one of the top settlements in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2024.

• Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016–present), awarded to a select number of attorneys under 40 based on peer recognition and professional achievement.

• Excellence in the Law: Up & Coming Lawyer – Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2022).

• National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 (2019).

In her spare time, you can find Karen soaking up as much live music as possible or exploring the outdoors.