Jury awards MRI Associates $52M after split with St. Alphonsus
 |
The unanimous decision is the second largest jury verdict in Idaho history, according to KTVB News.
It is the second time the case between the two organizations went to trial and the second time a jury has ruled in favor of Boise, Idaho-based MRI Associates, which operates the MRI Center of Idaho and MRI Mobile. The first trial’s $63 million verdict, however, was later overturned by the Idaho Supreme Court, according to the AP.
MRI Associates began a partnership with Saint Alphonsus in 1985, which was to last until 2015. In 1998, a group of Saint Alphonsus radiologists started their own outpatient facility. Saint Alphonsus broke the partnership with MRI Associates in 2004 in order to work with the new facility, according to the AP.
The hospital sued MRI Associates for a portion of the ownership in MRI Associates and was then counter sued by MRI Associates. Attorneys for MRI Associates argued Saint Alphonsus violated the agreement by competing with its own partner.
The jury awarded MRI Associates $52 million, saying the business lost potential profits as a result of the break in the partnership agreement, according to KTVB.
A Saint Alphonsus spokeswoman said the hospital plans to appeal the decision.
Evan Godt, Writer
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.