A 36-year-old woman recently filed a lawsuit that claims her mother’s fertility doctor impregnated her mother with his own genetic material, and — as a result — the doctor is her biological father. The Washington woman discovered that the doctor was her father after she submitted her DNA for testing through the Ancestry website. Her genetic sample revealed that her biological father was a reproductive specialist from Idaho.
The 36-year-old woman claimed medical negligence, fraud and battery in her lawsuit, which claims that the doctor intentionally used his sperm to impregnate the woman’s mother. Both her mother and — her now presumed nonbiological father — went to the fertility doctor for assistance in the early 1980s after they had difficulty producing a child.
The lawsuit states that the doctor diagnosed the woman’s mother with having a tipped uterus and her nonbiological father with having a low sperm count. The doctor said that he would artificially inseminate the woman with a mix of sperm from her husband and matching donors. The couple requested the donor to be a tall university student with blue eyes and brown hair. Over a period of three months, the doctor allegedly added his own sperm into the mix that he used to artificially inseminate the woman’s mother.
The lawsuit further alleges that the doctor knew the woman “was his biological daughter but did not disclose this to the parents,” and that the doctor cried when the family informed him that they were moving away.
Medical malpractice claims arise out of numerous scenarios. Although the situation described in this case sounds out of the ordinary, there are many instances of fraud, deceit, recklessness and negligence on the part of doctors, which lead to serious injuries to their patients. If you believe you were harmed by your doctor due to his or her untoward or unconscionable behavior, make sure to investigate the matter fully to determine where you stand under the law. An experienced attorney can provide guidance.
Source: Newsweek, “Fertility Doctor Used His Own Sperm to Impregnate Woman, Biological Daughter’s Lawsuit Claims,” Nicole Rojas, April 02, 2018
