A Hennepin County, MN, jury awarded $4.6 million in damages in a whistleblower case involving a radiologist who used to work for Consulting Radiologists of Eden Prairie but was terminated after raising issues about the company's practices.
The civil lawsuit filed by Brent Bullis, MD, on June 14, 2022, asserted numerous complaints against Consulting Radiologists and Allina Health System. Consulting Radiologists is a privately-owned Minnesota corporation that provides radiology services to healthcare facilities in the state and surrounding areas, including Allina Health System, a not-for-profit health system in the Allina Health network. Bullis' claims against Allina Health were dismissed August 28, 2023. As of January 19, Consulting Radiologists is the sole remaining defendant in the case.
Bullis had a long and successful career with Consulting Radiologists and was a shareholder, according to court documents. The two-week-long trial and deliberation resulted in a jury verdict, finding the plaintiff was terminated in violation of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act, according to Halunen Law, the firm representing the case.
Attorney Pamela Johnson said the verdict marks one of the largest whistleblower verdicts in Minnesota and should serve as a warning for employers thinking about retaliating against employees who stand up to expose safety concerns.
