Chart Industries Hit With $15M Verdict for Destroyed Embryos (1)

The $14.9 million verdict in California against Chart Industries Inc. over a failed cryopreservation tank that destroyed human eggs and embryos is believed to be the first of its kind, and will be a bellwether for scores of cases, a plaintiffs’ attorney said.

A federal jury found Chart responsible for defects in the tank at the Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco and said Thursday the company should pay the multimillion-dollar award to five plaintiffs.

The verdict will guide the handling of future cases, Adam Wolf, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said.

“These families have suffered an unspeakable loss and ...