The New Jersey Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday in a case in which a Bergen County jury returned a $26 million verdict in favor of a group of neurosurgeons, finding that Valley Hospital breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

The plaintiffs, 11 neurosurgeons and their practice group, New Jersey Brain and Spine Center, provided on-call coverage in Valley Hospital’s emergency department. The neurosurgeons were “instrumental” in acquiring specialized equipment for the hospital, including biplane angiography and Gamma Knife equipment, which allowed Valley Hospital to treat stroke patients rather than transferring those cases to Columbia University in New York, according to the per curiam Appellate Division opinion.