The New Jersey Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Thursday in a case involving a $26 million verdict returned by a Bergen County jury in favor of a group of neurosurgeons. The jury found that Valley Hospital had breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
The plaintiffs in the case, consisting of eleven neurosurgeons and the New Jersey Brain and Spine Center, had provided critical on-call coverage in the emergency department of the hospital. The neurosurgeons were key in acquiring specialized equipment for the Valley Hospital, such as biplane angiography and Gamma Knife equipment. These acquisitions allowed the Valley Hospital to treat stroke patients onsite rather than transferring cases to Columbia University in New York.
Arguing on behalf of the neurosurgeons, attorney Peter G. Verniero of Sills Cummis & Gross implored the court to consider the evidence and uphold the jury’s decision. He stated, “This is a semipublic institution that treated these doctors in a way that is unfair. That is clear from the jury’s finding. And if this court were to reverse an unpublished opinion to somehow make a point on some technicality, it would be sending an awful message to all the parties in this case, to jurors, and to trial courts.”
More details on the arguments presented before the New Jersey Supreme Court can be found at NJ Law Journal.