Chesapeake, Va. – On Wednesday, Judge Linda Bryant issued two pivotal rulings in the civil litigation against Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (CRMC). The judge authorized the inclusion of Virginia Consumer Protection Act (VCPA) claims for the first six complaints and ordered that all seven complaints—covering 1,040 women—be merged into one master complaint.
New Consumer‑Protection Avenue for Plaintiffs
Virginia medical‑malpractice attorney Victoria Wickman, representing the former patients, said the VCPA claim provides an additional legal pathway for the women seeking redress. The VCPA addresses deceptive business practices, and while the seventh complaint already invoked the statute, the initial six did not. By adding the VCPA cause of action, the plaintiffs can now pursue claims of deceptive conduct alongside their existing allegations of unnecessary and irreversible gynecological surgeries and fraudulent billing.
Discovery Dispute Over Timing of Claims
The court did not resolve a separate dispute concerning when the statute of limitations began for certain claims. CRMC’s counsel pointed to media coverage from 2019‑2021, arguing that the reports should have alerted women to the hospital’s possible involvement well before the federal indictment in 2025. Wickman countered that the coverage focused solely on Dr. Javaid Perwaiz and his actions, not on any alleged complicity by the hospital. She emphasized that a reasonable reader of those articles would not have known the hospital was aware of, or condoned, the alleged misconduct.
Impact of Federal Deferred‑Prosecution Agreement
CRMC recently entered a deferred‑prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Under the agreement, the hospital accepted responsibility for its role in conduct related to Perwaiz, agreed to pay more than $6.4 million to health‑care benefit programs, and established a restitution fund of nearly $12.84 million for affected patients. Although the civil suit and the federal agreement are distinct matters, Wickman warned that any attempt by CRMC to contradict the admitted facts could jeopardize the deferred‑prosecution deal.
Hospital’s Response and Ongoing Litigation
In a statement following the agreement, CRMC expressed sorrow to the women and families impacted and pledged to implement additional compliance standards and safeguards. The hospital’s statement read, “First and foremost, we express our sorrow to the women and families impacted by these events for all that they have endured. We also must reflect on and take responsibility for our organization’s role in the past relating to this physician’s practices.”
The consolidation of the complaints means that the litigation will proceed as a single, unified case, streamlining the legal process for the plaintiffs. Wickman indicated that the next major battle will likely focus on discovery, as the plaintiffs have requested documents from CRMC that have not yet been produced. She expects to ask the court to compel the hospital to turn over the requested information.
Background on Perwaiz
Dr. Javaid Perwaiz is serving a 59‑year federal prison sentence after his 2020 conviction for performing medically unnecessary procedures, including hysterectomies and sterilizations, and for misleading patients about their health. The civil suit alleges that CRMC played a role in enabling these practices and in fraudulent billing.
The rulings by Judge Bryant represent a significant step forward for the more than 1,000 former patients seeking accountability and compensation for the alleged harms they endured.
Original reporting: WTKR News 3 (Scripps) – local — read the source article.
