Patients Want Answers from University Hospitals Related to Egg and Embryo Destruction
CLEVELAND –In the wake of shocking news that a University Hospitals fertility clinic in Beachwood, Ohio may have damaged or destroyed viable eggs and embryos, a husband and wife who had embryos stored at the facility have filed a class action lawsuit. Amber and Elliott Ash filed the lawsuit on March 11, 2018 and are represented by prominent national plaintiffs law firm DiCello Levitt & Casey. The firm’s attorneys are presently reviewing potential claims by additional patients affected by the freezer malfunction, which may have destroyed more than 2,000 embryos and eggs.
“Our clients are absolutely devastated, as I’m sure countless families across Northeast Ohio are, by University Hospitals’ catastrophic failure,” said Mark DiCello of DiCello Levitt & Casey. “The impacted patients are grieving the loss of thousands of potential daughters and sons. They are in a state of confusion, anger and sorrow, with too many unanswered questions. With this lawsuit, we will get answers and prevent this type of disaster from happening again.”
The Ash family was informed Saturday, March 10, that their embryo specimens had been destroyed as a result of the malfunction. After their son was born in 2015, doctors told Amber Ash that due to serious health risks, she should not attempt another pregnancy. She and her husband elected to freeze and store embryos in the hopes of conceiving a child through a surrogate pregnancy. “There is nothing worse than being told that these embryos, which we have invested so much time, effort, money and emotional capital into creating, are just gone in an instant,” said Amber Ash.
“While DiCello Levitt & Casey leads class action cases across the United States, we are deeply connected to the State of Ohio, with one of our two primary offices located in Mentor,” said co-counsel for the plaintiffs, Adam Levitt. “When we heard about this terrible negligence that occurred in our own backyard, we were compelled to seek justice for the hundreds of Ohio families whose health and well-being have been so shockingly disrupted by University Hospitals’ conduct.”
If you believe that you have been impacted by a fertility clinic or hospital malfunction that potentially destroyed your embryos or eggs, the attorneys at DiCello Levitt & Casey are happy to speak with you about the ongoing litigation and how to protect your rights. Learn more about the case on the firm’s website, or call (440) 953-8888 to speak with one of our attorneys.
About DiCello Levitt & Casey
DiCello Levitt & Casey is a different kind of law firm – one that combines excellence in commercial litigation, class action litigation, mass tort litigation, catastrophic injury litigation, labor and employment litigation, and civil rights litigation. Practicing nationwide – and internationally – from offices in Chicago and Cleveland, we are an aggressive, attentive, and creative plaintiffs’ firm whose work speaks for itself – billions of dollars in recoveries in some of the highest-profile matters in U.S. history. Revered by clients and respected by defense counsel, our team gets results.