Dr. Peter Chi's driver's license photo. Tracy Police Department
Peter Chi will be tried in October on 67 felony counts of sexual abuse in San Joaquin County Superior Court.
Last month, Chi’s insurance company settled with the 37 former patients who had filed a lawsuit that alleged molestation. About 30 alleged victims did not participate in the civil complaint.
Chi, who lives in Livermore, practiced at Beauty Renewed, 1770 N. Tracy Blvd., before Tracy police arrested him last February.
Last year, he pleaded not guilty to 50 counts of sexual battery by fraud, 16 of sexual penetration by foreign object while unconscious and one count of lewd act upon a child.
On Jan. 20, Evanston Insurance Company agreed to pay $1.8 million to be split between the victims and their lawyers, said attorney Stewart Tabak, who represented 17 of the women that sued Chi. He said his clients could see the money within a few weeks.
“It was recognized and appreciated by the victims that they were never going to be able to get an amount out of Mr. Chi to fully compensate them for what he put them through,” he said.
Tabak said the longer the victims and Evanston Insurance negotiated, the less money was available for the settlement.
Chi’s insurance was capped at $3 million, Tabak said.
He said Evanston’s lawyer fees had already reached “a few hundred thousand dollars,” which drained the amount available for the patients.
Last year, Judge Roger Ross ordered Chi to turn over his medical license and passport to the court. He remains out of jail on $500,000 bail.
Contact Tracy Press reporter Cassie Tomlin at 830-4225 or ctomlin@tracypress.com.
I can only hope that the medical board will NEVER allow Chi to obtain his medical license. I also think they should keep his passport so he will never have another opportunity to molest children or adults in another country.
While it causes the need for insurance rates to rise. The problem is NOT that legitimate doctors cannot afford to practice. They can, especially if they are part of a medical group.
Private doctors will feel the squeeze more than doctors in a group. Either way they can still afford green fees.
But wait till YOU get that extra $20 dollar co-pay.
YUCK!!!
Good luck to the victims, I hope you get justice and peace of mind.
According to the lawyer representing 17 of the victims of this sorry excuse for a human being, " Evanston’s (the insurance company's) lawyer fees had already reached “a few hundred thousand dollars,” which drained the amount available for the patients." So, "the longer the victims and Evanston Insurance negotiated, the less money was available for the settlement."
The insurance company chose to carry the policy, and I'm betting this guy paid some pretty darned high premiums to this company over the years. So WHY are the attorney fees decreasing the amount of insurance available for the victims to "tap"? Perfect example of the insurance company taking care of "numero uno" (themselves) rather than doing the right thing.