MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – A federal judge has reduced a $110 million jury award in a medical malpractice case to $10 million, calling the original amount “shockingly excessive.” The ruling came in the case of Anuj Thapa, a college student who suffered a serious injury during a soccer match.
In May 2022, a Minneapolis federal jury awarded Thapa $111.3 million in damages, including $110 million for pain and suffering, marking the largest award of its kind in Minnesota. The jury determined that negligent care following the injury had caused Thapa extreme pain and permanent disability. The defendant, St. Cloud Orthopedic Associates, argued that the award was “shockingly excessive” and requested a new trial or a substantial reduction.
On October 26, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Tony Leung ruled that Thapa must either accept a $10 million award for pain and suffering or the case would be retried. Judge Leung described the original award as “astronomical” and stated that the evidence presented did not justify such a high sum. However, the judge’s ruling did not affect the $1.25 million awarded to Thapa for economic damages.
Thapa now has until November 28 to decide whether to accept the reduced award. His attorney, Brandon Thompson of the Ciresi Conlin law firm, stated that they are currently considering their options.
Thapa, who was 19 years old at the time of the injury, sustained a serious leg fracture during the soccer match. Following surgery at St. Cloud Hospital, he experienced severe pain and numbness in his leg. After returning to the hospital six days later, doctors diagnosed him with acute compartment syndrome, a condition that can cause severe tissue damage.
The court acknowledged Thapa’s ongoing pain and the impact on his academic and vocational aspirations, as well as the disappointment it caused his family and village in Nepal. However, Judge Leung believed that the evidence did not support the original award of $110 million in non-economic damages.
The judge’s ruling noted that the $111.3 million jury award was the largest ever for pain and suffering in a Minnesota medical malpractice or personal injury case. The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Minnesota, has never upheld an award close to this amount.
In setting the new award amount, Judge Leung considered comparable cases and concluded that $10 million was the maximum reasonable figure. The defendant, St. Cloud Orthopedic, had requested a new trial or a reduction in the jury’s award, but these claims were rejected by the court.
In summary, a federal judge in Minnesota has reduced a $110 million jury award in a medical malpractice case to $10 million, calling the original amount “shockingly excessive.” The ruling comes in the case of Anuj Thapa, a college student who suffered a serious leg injury during a soccer match. Thapa must now decide whether to accept the reduced award within the given deadline.