Judge dismisses former CoxHealth employees' wrongful termination lawsuit

[okarol]

Judge dismisses former CoxHealth employees' wrongful termination lawsuit

News-Leader staff • December 29, 2008

A wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former CoxHealth employees Roger Cochran and Dennis Morris against the health system was dismissed today by U.S. District Judge Gary Fenner, court records show.

According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, the dismissal came a few days after the men asked the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, possibly indicating a settlement had been reached.

Contacted about the dismissal and any possible settlement, Cochran replied, “I can’t talk about it.”

Morris referred questions to his attorney, Matthew Placzek. Efforts to contact Matthew Placzek and co-counsel Jenifer Placzek were unsuccessful this evening.

Morris and Cochran filed the lawsuit in June 2005, claiming they were unfairly fired from their jobs with Ozarks Dialysis Services, a dialysis company run by CoxHealth. The men, former managers at the service, said they were fired after talking to federal investigators who were looking into possible Medicare fraud.

Cox officials have denied any wrongdoing and have said the men were fired for being poor managers who fostered a hostile work environment.

The former managers’ lawsuit was delayed by a federal judge for about two years, until July 2007, to avoid interference with the government’s related criminal investigation.

Federal investigators said this summer that investigation continues, although they did not say when or whether any indictments might come.

The civil side of that investigation ended in July when Cox agreed to pay the government $60 million for alleged Medicare fraud.

The lawsuit filed by Cochran and Morris had been scheduled to go to trial next month. But on Dec. 24 the men each filed documents dropping their complaints and requesting the suit be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the same suit could not be refiled.

The documents, signed by Cochran, Morris and Matthew Placzek, also ask that each party pay its own attorney fees. A line marked “Agreed to and Accepted” is signed by Virginia Fry, attorney for CoxHealth.

Today, Judge Fenner granted the men’s request, dismissing the case with prejudice and ordering all parties pay their own costs.

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20081229/BREAKING01/81229054/-1/RSS

[Chris]

"The civil side of that investigation ended in July when Cox agreed to pay the government $60 million for alleged Medicare fraud."

Which in laymens terms means your GUILTY. If your not guilty of any wrongdoing, why pay?

As for the two men, they must have been paid off.