Fremont Emergency Services (Mandavia), et al. vs. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. et al.

In a closely watched December 2021 trial, a Nevada jury handed AZA client TeamHealth yet another trial victory on behalf of underpaid emergency room doctors, this time with a $62.65 million jury award against United Healthcare, the largest insurer in the nation. With attorneys’ fees, the award came to more than $75 million. 

The seven-week trial put several Las Vegas area ER physicians groups up against a cluster of United Healthcare affiliates. The jury found that the insurers cheated the doctors groups out of more than $2.65 million in payments and also awarded $60 million in punitive damages. TeamHealth plaintiffs will also seek attorney’s fees. Texas Lawbook featured the Nevada case as the top story in Top Commercial Litigation in 2021 

The lawsuit is one of many TeamHealth affiliates have filed against various insurers across the country to stop systematic underpayment of ER doctors groups by insurance companies. AZA has already won two other jury trials for TeamHealth doctors in several states and settled a handful of other cases. This Nevada win against the largest U.S. insurer could be a bellwether for the more than two dozen similar cases around the nation against various insurers. 

The jury found the insurance affiliates liable for unjust enrichment, breach of contract and unfair insurance practices. The court had ruled that the insurers willfully hid evidence in this case. 

TeamHealth is the nation’s largest clinical practice. It operates in 47 states, contracts with 16,000 healthcare professionals and treats 30 million patients annually. 

The AZA team worked with local counsel was Pat Lundvall, Florida attorney Justin Fineberg and Carol Owen of TeamHealth.

AZA lawyers: John Zavitsanos, Joe Ahmad,  Jane Langdell Robinson, Jason McManis,  Kevin Leyendecker, Michael Killingsworth,  Louis Liao