A federal appeals court ruled June 4 that Tata Consultancy Services must pay interest on a $140 million punitive damages award to Epic dating back to the original 2017 judgment.
Here are five things to know:
- The decision stems from a long-running legal dispute between Epic and Tata. Epic alleged in 2014 that Tata employees stole data, documents, trade secrets and confidential information from the EHR vendor.
- In 2017, a jury awarded Epic $940 million, including $700 million in punitive damages. That figure was later reduced due to Wisconsin law, which caps punitive damages.
- After a series of appeals, the final punitive damages amount was set at $140 million. However, it remained unclear from which date interest on the amount should accrue.
- The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in court documents obtained by Becker’s that interest should be calculated from the original 2017 judgment — not a later date — meaning Tata will owe Epic additional compensation for the time elapsed.
- The case has been remanded to the lower court to determine the total interest owed on top of the $140 million.
