A defamation lawsuit brought forth by Georiga Dr. Mahendra Amin against NBC News has been settled with the network dishing out $30 million in the process.
The case stemmed from allegations made on MSNBC that the doctor had performed unnecessary procedures on female immigrants without their consent while they were in the custody of the United States government.
While there is evidence that Amin performed hysterectomies on illegal immigrants, which a judge U.S. District judge called “unnecessary and unauthorized”, she added that there was not evidence of “mass hysterectomies” that NBC News claimed. Dr. Amin’s other point of contention was being labeled “the uterus collector” by the network.
The evidence showed that patients signed consent forms for their procedures. NBC News, however, reported that the women failed to understand the ramifications of signing the documents.
“A jury could conclude that [Amin] performed unnecessary and unauthorized gynecological procedures, including the two hysterectomies,” U.S. District Judge Lisa Dobey Wood wrote. “A jury could also conclude that these accusations were materially false.”
The trial was scheduled to begin later this month. However, attorneys for both NBC News and Dr. Amin told the court they had reached a settlement and were finalizing an agreement. Court documents show the case was dismissed by the plaintiff last Friday.
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