North Carolina Therapist Awarded $3.6M in Wrongful Termination Case

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A North Carolina therapist who said she was fired after reporting patient neglect has won a $3.6 million award from a Buncombe County jury.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports the Superior Court jury awarded the money earlier this month to Laura Haas, who was fired by mental health care provider CooperRiis in 2009. Attorney Harvey Kennedy says the award is the largest jury verdict in North Carolina for an individual in a wrongful termination case.

Haas charged that CooperRiis fired her after she complained about illegal administration of medication, overdoses because of self-administration of medication and problems with prescription refills.

CooperRiis board chairman Donald Cooper said in a statement that the company will not appeal the decision. He says the company has adopted new employment policies to help avoid similar situations.