UC Irvine to Pay Another $4.23M in Fertility Cases, Total Now Tops $24M
Two doctors at the center of a medical malpractice case have reportedly fled the country to avoid prosecution for allegedly stealing eggs and embryos from some female patients of a California fertility clinic and giving them to other patients.
But the University of California at Irvine continues to settle claims concerning deceptive practices at its Center for Reproductive Health, recently agreeing to pay $4.23 million to a dozen families, reports the Los Angeles Times. So far, it has settled with 137 families for a total of more than $24 million concerning eggs and embryos that either can’t be located or were given to others without the patient’s consent; another three cases have not yet been resolved.
The largest award in the current group of settlements, $675,000, went to Shirel and Steve Crawford. They have an adopted daughter at home but believe their biological offspring are being raised somewhere by others as a result of what happened at the clinic, according to the newspaper.
“I don’t think it will ever be over,” says Shirel Crawford, 50. “Our children are still out there somewhere. Maybe someday they will find us.”
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Stolen Human Egg Cases Revived; News Coverage Didn’t Notify Plaintiffs”
