In December 2002, South Carolina physician, Bruce Skinner, M.D., was awarded approximately $30 million in a lawsuit against Trident Medical Center of Charleston. Skinner had been hired by Trident to work at one of its primary care clinics. Shortly after he was hired, however, Skinner began complaining about the clinic, including: the clinic's physical condition and plumbing; the nursing staff; and the clinic's billing methods. Skinner was subsequently accused of stealing an EKG machine, and deliberately causing leaks in the clinic's plumbing, and approximately four months after being hired, Skinner was fired. After his termination, Skinner alleged that the clinic refused to return his patient list, which included about 1,300 patients and their addresses, and that an employee of the clinic damaged his reputation by telling patients that she didn't know where he was located, and that he had stolen equipment from the clinic, and caused physical damage to the clinic. The jury awarded Skinner: $250,000 for his patient list; $10 million for the hospital's negligent supervision of the employee that slandered him; $10 million actual damages; and $10 as punitive damages. Trident has asked the judge to overturn the verdict, or alternatively, to reduce the amount of the jury's award, and also plans to appeal.

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