A Virginia appeals court upheld a verdict ordering a dentist to pay $1.85 million to another dentist whom he reportedly made disparaging statements about before terminating him, according to a court ruling dated June 3.
The Court of Appeals of Virginia ruled that Dr. Charles Brown, the owner and operator of Charles Brown, DDS in Hayfield, VA, must pay $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages to Dr. Richard Grundy who was previously employed at the practice. This ruling upholds the jury verdict made in 2022.
In 2013, Brown hired Grundy to work at his practice. Over time, the professional relationship between Brown and Grundy became strained due to disagreements over access to “patient personal financial and account data,” according to the court ruling.
By the fall of 2018, Brown and Grundy filed complaints with the Virginia Department of Health Professions against each other. In December 2018, Brown terminated Grundy and reportedly sent a letter to patients, explaining why he was no longer working at the practice.
In response to the letter, Grundy filed a defamation lawsuit against Brown, claiming it contained false and disparaging statements about his professional conduct that would affect his reputation, according to the ruling.
Once a jury found in favor of Grundy, Brown appealed the decision.
“Accordingly, we affirm the circuit court's judgment,” according to the ruling.
