A split Fifth Circuit panel has affirmed a district court’s decision to set aside a $13.1 million jury award to Dr. Joseph Papin, a medical resident whose contract was terminated following complaints about his workplace behavior.
The Fifth Circuit ruling comes after a jury initially awarded Papin $5 million in punitive damages. The district court found that the initial jury’s verdict, which claimed that the medical center had breached its contract with Papin, was fraught with errors. According to Judge Stephen A. Higginson, the center’s residency program director, Dr. T. Mark Earl, had signed a “remediation agreement” with Papin, affecting the basis for the initial breach finding.
The contract in question, referred to as a “house officer contract,” was utilized to hire Dr. Papin. However, this particular contract has been a point of contention, with dissenting opinions arising over its validity and usage in this context. The affirmation by the Fifth Circuit ultimately underscores the complexity and legal nuances present in employment contracts within medical residencies.
For further reading and detailed insights into the Fifth Circuit’s decision, you can visit the Bloomberg Law article here.