California jury awards $15m over lost fertility clinic eggs | The Daily Update

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California jury awards $15m over lost fertility clinic eggs

A California jury has awarded $14.9m (£10m) to five patients who lost frozen eggs or embryos in a 2018 storage tank failure at a fertility clinic.

The cryogenic tank malfunction at the Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco ruined some 3,500 eggs, embryos and other genetic material. The jurors found a tank production defect was largely to blame. This is the first case to see an award for victims of a fertility clinic freezer problem, lawyers say.

Three women and a couple will share the nearly $15m award after losing their frozen eggs and embryos, respectively. The tank manufacturer, Chart Industries Inc, will pay 90%, with the clinic being held liable for the remaining 10%.

A Chart-made tank at the centre lost liquid nitrogen for a short period of time, which led to the destruction of some frozen material, the centre said.

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