GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A federal judge has upheld a Swiss court’s $1.1 million judgment against former Detroit Red Wing Kevin Miller whose hit from behind in a Switzerland league ended the career of another player.

Miller, who played for the Red Wings and several other NHL teams, along with the Grand Rapids Griffins and Michigan State University, injured Andrew McKim, a Canadian, during a 2000 championship game.

Miller checked McKim in the head and neck after McKim took a shot on goal. McKim fell forward and struck his head on the ice. He was hospitalized several weeks with a concussion and other injuries.

Allianz Suisse Versicherungs-Gesellschaft, a Swiss insurance company that covered McKim, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids to enforce the judgment it obtained in Switzerland in 2010.

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Allianz sought a summary judgment that recognized the judgment as enforceable in Michigan. Miller filed his own such motion, arguing that the judgment is contrary to public policy of the state of Michigan and violates due-process requirements.

U.S. District Judge Gordon Quist in Grand Rapids ruled in favor of Allianz.

Allianz was awarded 1 million Swiss francs, equal to $1,115,681 in U.S. currency, in 2010. Allianz also received interest beginning in 2003, court costs and attorney fees. Allianz said the judgment had grown to $1.6 million when it filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in 2012.

The hit occurred Oct. 31, 2000, while Miller played for HC Davos in the Switzerland National Hockey League. During the game against the ZSC Lions, he hit McKim from behind, a check that resulted in a five-minute penalty and a playing-time disciplinary penalty.

The National League Tribunal suspended Miller for eight games for an “intentional or potentially malicious injury or attempted injury.”

On Dec. 10, 2004, the prosecutor’s office of the Canton of Zurich charged Miller with malicious simple bodily injury and grievous bodily injury. The trial, at which Miller testified, began the following August.

“Miller admitted that he checked McKim, injuring him ‘at least lightly,’ but denied his actions resulted in the serious injuries that McKim sustained when he hit his head on the ice,” Quist wrote in his 17-page opinion.

He said the Swiss court requested expert opinions from two independent sources.

Miller’s attorneys were not allowed to examine the experts, but could submit written questions. He provided opinions of his own experts, including NHL executive Brian Burke.

The Swiss criminal court found Miller guilty of simple bodily harm, intentional bodily harm and gross negligence. Miller was found 100 percent responsible for McKim’s injuries. Miller could have and should have avoided colliding with McKim, the court ruled.

“The court rejected Miller’s account as not credible and disregarded the testimony of Miller’s witnesses, including his experts, as biased or irrelevant,” Quist wrote.

Allianz filed a separate civil action against Miller to establish damages for payments it made to Kim for past, present and future medical expenses, lost wages and other costs. Miller did not attend that trial.

“In concluding that Miller was responsible for the damages resulting from the ‘check,’ the judge observed that Miller must have recognized that he could not have made a legal body check on McKim, that Miller had sufficient time to avoid the improper contact with McKim, and that Miller must have known of the risk that he could inflict serious injury on McKim with contact from behind.”

Quist said he applied the Uniform Foreign-Country Money Judgments Recognition Act, which Michigan has adopted.

“Allianz has met its burden of showing that the FCMJRA applies to the judgment because it is undisputed that the judgment awards a sum of money to Allianz and is final, conclusive, and enforceable under Swiss law,” Quist wrote.

John Agar covers crime for MLive/Grand Rapids Press E-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterJAgar