The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson secures punitive damages after malice, gross negligence, fraud finding in partnership dispute

Dallas, TX -- (SBWire) -- 06/07/2012 --A Dallas County physician who suffered significant financial losses after investing in two North Texas diagnostic medical imaging centers has been awarded a $10.66 million verdict after jurors agreed that his business partners made an orchestrated effort to misappropriate the partnerships’ funds and assets.

Lawyers from Dallas' The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson successfully represented Dr. Erwin Cruz in the complex commercial litigation against his former business partners, Mehrdad "Mike" Ghani and Dr. Michael Taba. During two weeks of trial, jurors heard testimony alleging, among other things, that Mr. Ghani worked to deprive Dr. Cruz of his interests in North Dallas Medical Imaging, L.P., and Plano AMI, L.P., two businesses that provided MRI, CT, and other medical imaging services.

The verdict includes $2.89 million in actual damages and another $7.77 million in exemplary damages, which jurors added after finding that Mr. Ghani's and Dr. Taba's actions were malicious, grossly negligent or fraudulent.

"This was a complex business and contract dispute, but it boiled down to a common theme: mismanagement and self-dealing," says trial lawyer Frank L. Branson. "The jury found that our client trusted these men to uphold their fiduciary duties and look out for his best interests as a partner and that these duties had been breached."

According to court testimony, Mr. Ghani and Dr. Taba conspired to take away Dr. Cruz's interests in Plano AMI. The jury also agreed that both Mr. Ghani and Dr. Taba violated their fiduciary duties by opening a competing imaging center without obtaining consent from Dr. Cruz or the other Plano AMI partners. Jurors also found that Mr. Ghani misled Dr. Cruz concerning the financial condition of the North Dallas business and violated his fiduciary duties by providing undisclosed compensation to himself, Dr. Taba, and Mr. Ghani's wife.

"The diligence and hard work of Eric Stahl and the trial team resulted in a case that resonated with the jury," says Mr. Branson.

In addition to Mr. Branson, the trial team from the Law Offices of Frank L. Branson included Eric Stahl, Thomas Farmer, Debbie Dudley Branson and John Burkhead.

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, commercial air crashes, professional negligence, and business torts.

Visit http://www.flbranson.com to learn more about the firm.

For more information on the verdict, please contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or Robert@androvett.com.