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7/13/2026
Appeal possible after jury trial
In February, Great Falls Clinic offered $1.25 million to settle a medical negligence lawsuit in the wake of a patient’s death. The plaintiffs declined the offer and took the case to trial.
On June 30, a jury returned a verdict in favor of Great Falls Clinic and a doctor, resulting in no award for the family who sued.
The case stems from the death of 35-year-old Cheryl Ruff in December 2021. Earlier in that month, Ruff went to a Great Falls Clinic walk-in care facility with chest pain. A physician assistant performed an x-ray to diagnose pneumonia, court documents state. When the physician assistant offered a CT-angiogram to check for a pulmonary embolism, court documents say Ruff declined.
Days later, Ruff went to the Benefis emergency department and was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. She died soon after.
In 2023, Ruff’s mother sued Great Falls Clinic, the physician assistant Leah Schwandt, and the supervising doctor, Lorenzo Boccuzzi. The lawsuit alleged that Great Falls Clinic was negligent in its care and failed to diagnose the pulmonary embolism, a blood clot of the lungs.
During the course of the lawsuit, Cascade County District Judge David Grubich dropped Schwandt from the case but determined that Boccuzzi could remain as a defendant, although he didn’t treat or consult on Ruff’s care.
While attorneys in the case argued over the legal limit of monetary awards in the case, Great Falls Clinic also made a settlement offer in February 2026 for $1.25 million. Court documents show that the offer wouldn’t have represented an admission of guilt by Great Falls Clinic or Boccuzzi, and the hospital gave Ruff’s family two weeks to consider it. The family opted to proceed to trial.
The trial lasted seven days and ended on June 30 when a jury returned a verdict. The question to the jury: “Was Great Falls Clinic, through the actions of its employee Leah Schwandt, PA-C, negligent in her treatment of Cheryl Ruff?”
The jury responded, “No.”
A spokesperson for Great Falls Clinic was out of office and didn’t return a request for comment. Daniel Flaherty, the attorney who represented Ruff’s family, gave a statement via email.
“We respect the right to a jury trial,” Flaherty’s statement said in part. “However, the process both prior to trial and during trial can lead to errors and we intend to appeal and continue to fight for this family. The loss of a young mother was tragic and preventable. The appeal will take time, but we are committed to achieving justice for Cheryl’s children.”
Photo Op
Janicki Industries President John Janicki pilots an excavator to break ground Friday at the site of a future 1.6-million-square-foot manufacturing campus in Great Falls. His brother, company founder Peter Janicki, simultaneously piloted another excavator nearby.
The groundbreaking ceremony marked a milestone in what local officials have called a transformational boost to the local economy. The company has said its initial investment is $800 million and that it will employ more than 2,000 people at full buildout in the 2030s. Speakers at Friday’s event forecasted Great Falls as a world-class aerospace manufacturing hub.
The project will be built in four phases, the first of which is a 390,000-square-foot manufacturing plant.
“As you can see, we’re going to build an immense building here,” Peter Janicki said during ceremony remarks. “And it’s going to take an immense army to run it.”
Attendees at the ceremony also heard from Montana Congressman Troy Downing and Gov. Greg Gianforte.
Calling all photographers: Submit a photo for Great Falls This Week to [email protected].
5 Things to Know in Great Falls
Last month, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright appointed Great Falls native Travis Kavulla as administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, a federally managed power agency that supplies electricity to a large portion of the northwestern United States. Among the administration’s assets are the Hungry Horse Dam and Libby Dam in Montana. Kavulla’s professional history includes work as a Montana Public Service Commissioner from 2011 to 2019.
Col. David Wyrick has assumed command of the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base. He succeeds Col. Daniel Vorhees. Wyrick spoke to Great Falls city commissioners during a July 7 meeting and said he was previously stationed at Malmstrom from 2009 to 2011 and is glad to be back. “No one embraces the military community the way that Great Falls does,” Wyrick said.
Great Falls city commissioners appointed Bryan Lockerby to the Police Commission. He will replace John Hackwith, who has served the limit of two terms on the board. Lockerby is a former administrator of the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation and previously served as an interim deputy city manager in Great Falls. A previous Q&A with Lockerby is here.
Great Falls Fire Rescue responded to six fire calls around the July 4 holiday. All of the fires were caused by fireworks, according to a department press release. This was the first Independence Day since voters approved new fireworks restrictions last fall. Among the fire calls were two garage fires that started from fireworks disposed of in trash bins. Firefighters responded to four additional dumpster fires.
Toby’s House Crisis Nursery is aiming for a late August grand opening for its new location along Second Street South. A press release from lead contractor The Walsh Group said that the building’s exterior is nearing completion. The project includes 19 additional regional contractors who are contributing materials and labor to the building. Read more about Toby’s House here.
