SAN FRANCISCO — Five women who lost eggs or embryos after a cryogenic storage tank at San Francisco Fertility Clinic collapsed were awarded almost $15 million by a jury on Thursday.
Three women who lost eggs and a married couple who lost embryos will get the award, which includes more than $14 million in damages for pain, suffering, and mental anguish.
The women and the couple testified about their grief during the trial.
Chloe Poynton, 39, had nine eggs removed from her body.
On the same day as the San Francisco tank disaster, a similar tank incident in a Cleveland suburb damaged almost 4,000 eggs and embryos. They were the country’s largest such losses on record, prompting facilities throughout the country to reassess their processes.
The tank breakdown was caused by a manufacturing flaw, and jurors found Chart 90 percent liable and negligent for neglecting to recall the defective item, which they determined was a “substantial factor” in causing injury.
The component in question was a controller that kept track of liquid nitrogen levels.
Pacific Fertility was judged to be 10% accountable for the damages caused.
Chart’s attorney and Pacific Fertility did not respond to messages left for them on Thursday.