5 More Settlements in Fertility Scandal
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SANTA ANA — The biggest settlements to date arising from the UC Irvine fertility clinic scandal were approved this week, when University of California regents reached agreement with five couples victimized by doctors treating the wives for infertility.
Two couples received settlements of $695,000 and $654,000 each, the largest sums awarded in the 72 civil lawsuits settled so far. The three other settlements finalized Monday were for $260,000, $55,000 and $5,450. Seven of the lawsuits filed against the clinic have been settled for $500,000 or more. Overall, the settlements have totaled more than $14 million, and about 20 cases remain unresolved.
The lawsuits resulted from allegations by former patients who said three UC Irvine doctors, Ricardo H. Asch, Jose Balmaceda and Sergio C. Stone, stole or misused their eggs while they were being treated for infertility.
The three doctors were charged with mail fraud and tax evasion. Asch and Balmaceda fled the country; Stone was found guilty last week of nine counts of mail fraud and acquitted of 14 other charges.
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