Hospital negligence leads to 4,000 ruined eggs and embryos

January 29th, 2019

On behalf of David Bowling of The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation posted in Hospital Negligence on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

Many Louisiana couples dream of becoming parents one day. Unfortunately, some experience difficulty conceiving naturally and turn to medical intervention to help them achieve their goal. Sometimes, such plans include a cryogenic procedure in which embryos or eggs are frozen to be used at a later date. Last March, hospital negligence led to a malfunction in the cryo tank at a fertility center, affecting nearly 1,000 families. More than 70 lawsuits were filed against the facility, and recently, eight more families stepped forward to file claims for monetary damages.

The incident happened nearly one year ago, in March 2018, in another state. Over 4,000 frozen eggs and embryos were deemed inviable when a malfunctioning alarm system failed to alert staff to a rise in temperature. The fertility center apologized by letter to the affected patients, and since the event, they have also offered all involved families free fertility care.

Affected patients who have not yet filed a lawsuit have limited time to do so, since that state has a one year statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits. Now, as the one-year anniversary of this tragedy approaches, a number of families have added their lawsuits to the significant number that had already been filed since last March, naming both the fertility center and the local company responsible for the remote alarm system used by the facility. Among the most recent to file is a couple who believes their lost embryos should be considered living people, rather than property, and are seeking legal declaration that this is so. The hospital recently released a statement saying that they have made significant changes at the fertility center and are encouraging employees to help them increase the quality of patient care.

Anyone who has tried to conceive can understand the feelings of hope and longing that accompany any efforts to do so. The patients affected by this serious malfunction surely felt devastated by the loss of their hopes of having children, and many of these people have chosen to seek monetary judgments for their losses. Experienced medical malpractice attorneys are available to help Louisiana residents who feel they, too, have been affected by hospital negligence and would like to discuss their options for legal recourse.