INDIANAPOLIS, IN—An Indianapolis jury has returned a verdict in favor of Lafayette, Indiana based Illumination International LLC against Vannin Healthcare Global Ltd. in the amount of $3.3 million. The jury found that Vannin breached a contract to deliver 705,000 boxes of nitrile medical gloves to Illumination during the height of the pandemic. The trial was held in the courtroom of Judge Heather Welch of the Indiana Commercial Court. The jury returned its verdict on December 14, 2022.
Vannin Healthcare Global is an international distributor of medical equipment and supplies and based on the Isle of Man, a British Crown dependency located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. Illumination International LLC is an importer of medical products based in Lafayette, Indiana and owned by entrepreneur Rick Li. The case is Cause No. 49D01-2103-PL-9067 in the Indiana Commercial Court.
In November 2020, Illumination paid Vannin $2.8 million as a down payment on the 705,000 boxes of medical gloves, which Vannin promised to deliver within 40 days. Vannin failed to deliver the gloves, and refused to return Illumination’s $2.8 million down payment, leading to the lawsuit. The case included witnesses and testimony from the Isle of Man, Vietnam, Cambodia, Spain and Florida.
The Indiana Commercial Courts, established in 2016, handle only business and commercial disputes. The Courts were established to promote efficiency and predictability in Indiana business litigation.
Illumination expects Judge Welch will enter a final judgment on Friday, December 16, 2022. Including interest, the final judgment will be $4.4 million. Illumination’s attorney acknowledges that collecting the judgment from the Isle of Man company will be a challenge.
Illumination was represented by Anthony Dowell, Rachel Bir and Kaylin Cook of Gutwein Law of Lafayette, Indiana. Vannin Healthcare Global Ltd. was represented by Michael McNally and Austin Sparks of Delk McNally LLP of Indianapolis, Indiana.
