California State Appeals Court Reinstates Medical Malpractice Suit

Shannon Weidemann

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UCI Medical Center was sued for medical malpractice in 2004 over their liver transplant program. The plantiff settled with UCI but then later wanted the settlement thrown out. A judge would not allow that and she appealed the decision to the California State Appeals Court.

Irvine, of Irvine, appealed that ruling and scored a victory Monday when a four-judge panel for the 4th District Court of Appeal said Orange County Superior Court Judge Randell Wilkinson had erred when he rejected her motion to overturn the settlement agreement.

In reinstating Irvine's case, the appeals court didn't evaluate the merits of her claims.

UCI spokesman Tom Vasich said the university was exploring its legal options.

The medical malpractice lawsuit was what caused federal investigators to look more closely at the transplant program at UCI. The program was decertified and federal funding for the program was stopped.