From a jury awarding nearly $183 million to a family who filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, to a Colorado hospital agreeing to settle a lawsuit alleging it did not compensate for off-the-clock work, here are 11 hospital lawsuits and settlements Becker's has reported since April 21.
1. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against a Trinity Health hospital in Michigan for allegedly violating federal religious laws by rescinding an employment offer because the person refused to get a flu shot. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health and Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Mercy Health St. Mary are listed as defendants.
2. A woman suing Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network dropped her request to compel the health system to pay $5 million in ransom to a cybercriminal gang to have her nude breast cancer treatment photos removed from the internet.
3. Boston Children's Hospital agreed to a $15 million settlement with the parents of a 6-month-old boy who died in 2022 during a sleep study at the hospital.
4. Xavier University in Cincinnati agreed to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of nearly 500 nursing students for $750,000. The suit alleged that the university failed to provide proper education to students enrolled in its accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing program in the spring and summer of 2020.
5. A nurse alleged in a lawsuit that he was wrongfully terminated by Providence Portland (Ore.) Medical Center in 2021 after he raised concerns about inadequate staffing and patient safety.
6. A federal judge granted preliminary approval of a settlement between Warren-based Ascension Michigan and healthcare workers who alleged they were denied a religious exemption to their employer's COVID-19 vaccination policy and were either suspended or otherwise lost their job as a result of their denied exemption.
7. A jury awarded nearly $183 million to a family who filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Philadelphia-based Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The family alleged that a birth injury left their son with cerebral palsy.
8. A physician filed a lawsuit alleging that executives at Oskaloosa, Iowa-based Mahaska Health discriminated against those who do not share their religious beliefs and political views.
9. As legal battles between LCMC Health and the federal government play out, a judge ruled the New Orleans-based system cannot close any of the three hospitals it purchased from Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare in January.
10. Gulfport, Miss.-based Memorial Hospital is suing Wiggins (Miss.) Acute Care Hospital for $453,127 concerning payment of new air-conditioning units put in at Wiggins-based Stone County Hospital and a medical clinic.
11. Delta (Colo.) County Memorial Hospital, also known as Delta Health, is settling a collective action lawsuit alleging the hospital did not compensate for off-the-clock work performed by hourly staff.