The New Jersey Supreme Court vacated a $24.3 million Bergen County Superior Court jury award to a group of neurosurgeons over the physicians’ allegations that The Valley Hospital breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing when it signed an exclusive agreement with another surgical group.
The plaintiff, Comprehensive Neurosurgical, was comprised of 11 neurosurgeons and their practice group, New Jersey Brain and Spine Center. The plaintiff provided on-call coverage in Valley’s emergency department and the neurosurgeons were “instrumental” in acquiring specialized equipment for the hospital, including biplane angiography and Gamma knife equipment, which allowed Valley to treat stroke patients rather than transferring those cases to Columbia University in New York, according to the per curiam Appellate Division opinion.
