Each year, thousands of patients turn to fertility clinics as an important recourse for planning their families. Far too often this trust is abused by doctors and facilities that engage in embryo mismanagement and outright fraud. If you or a loved one have been harmed by a fertility clinic, Wallace Miller may be able to help you seek justice. Contact us today or continue reading to see if you qualify for a fertility clinic lawsuit.
Types of Fertility Clinic Misconduct
Fertility clinics utilize a host of advanced technology and medical techniques that require strict adherence to health standards and protocol. However, thousands of cases of fertility clinic misconduct have been uncovered dating back to the 1960s. Many patients who have been the victims of fertility clinic misconduct have filed lawsuits alleging numerous abuses and breaches of trust, including:
- Sexual abuse or misconduct by the healthcare provider
- Embryo mix-ups
- Improper storage leading to the destruction of embryos
Mismanagement of sperm samples has also been reported by patients. This can include:
- Failure to maintain the chain of custody
- Allowing sperm samples to spoil or become unviable
- Use of sperm without consent
- Mislabeling sperm samples resulting in implantation mix-ups.
These examples of fertility clinic misconduct are a gross violation of patient trust and the clinic’s duty as a healthcare provider. If you have experienced misconduct by a fertility clinic, Wallace Miller is here to listen to your story. Contact us today to discuss filing a fertility clinic lawsuit.
Fertility Clinic Fraud
Reports of fertility clinic fraud have made headlines nationwide, uncovering a despicable pattern of abuse of trust and authority. Many of these cases involve doctors secretly inseminating patients with their own sperm.
- In 1992, former infertility specialist Cecil B. Jacobson was convicted on 52 counts of fraud and perjury after it was revealed he may have fathered more than 70 children by using his own sperm to impregnate patients.
- In Colorado, a jury awarded nearly $9 million to victims who accused fertility doctor Paul B. Jones and his clinic of using his own sperm to inseminate three mothers who requested anonymous donors.
- A San Diego woman filed a lawsuit against Dr. Phillip M. Milgram, alleging that the doctor used his own sperm to artificially inseminate her.
- In Kentucky, retired doctor Marvin Yussman was accused of using his own sperm to inseminate multiple patients going back as far as 1975.
- More than $1.3 million has been paid in civil suits against former Indiana fertility doctor Donald Cline after it was revealed he used his own sperm to father at least 94 donor children.
- California doctor Michael S. Kiken admitted in court to using his own sperm to inseminate the same patient twice, once in 1978 and again in 1980.
In many cases, the fertility fraud committed by these doctors weren’t revealed until years later, through the use of at-home DNA testing kits. This systemic pattern of abuse causes irreparable harm to the families affected, and erodes the trust placed in fertility clinics. If you or a loved one are the victim of fertility clinic fraud, you may qualify for compensation. Contact us today to learn what you can do.
Fertility Clinic Lawsuits Shine a Spotlight on Misconduct
Fraud is far from the only way fertility clinics have caused harm to patients and their families. Misconduct is a wide-spread issue and can occur many ways, ranging from equipment failure to negligence. Many victims have held such fertility clinics responsible for their misconduct by sharing their stories with the public and seeking legal representation.
- In 2021, a jury awarded nearly $15 million to five patients who lost eggs or embryos due to a storage tank failure at the Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco.
- The California Center for Reproductive Health was sued by a couple who allege their embryo was switched with another couple’s during in vitro fertilization treatment.
- A same-sex couple filed suit against HRC Fertility, alleging an embryo of the incorrect gender was implanted in their surrogate.
- A Washington couple sued CNY Fertility Colorado after a storage error destroyed 7 of their embryos.
- A couple in Ohio brought suit against Dr. Nicholas J. Spiritos and Summa Health System after a DNA test revealed the doctor had allegedly mixed up the man’s sperm sample with another client’s nearly 30 years earlier.
- Nearly 60 patients of the Yale Fertility Clinic brought a lawsuit against the facility, alleging that a nurse stole fentanyl for her own personal use and replaced it with saline, resulting in agonizing fertility procedures.
These cases of misconduct shine a terrifying spotlight on the harm fertility clinics can cause through negligence and lack of oversight. If you have been the victim of fertility clinic fraud or misconduct, you have options. Though we can’t undo the trauma you’ve experienced, we may be able to give you a voice to seek justice. Contact Wallace Miller today for a free and confidential case evaluation.