Personal Injury

Lieff Cabraser is investigating claims by fertility clinic patients who allege CooperSurgical’s solution used in the IVF process resulted in the destruction of their developing embryos. Patients have accused CooperSurgical of not conducting thorough testing on their embryo culture media, and assert that the company’s defective product and negligent conduct destroyed irreplaceable embryos. In December 2023, CooperSurgical issued an urgent recall for three lots of its solution, noting “the risk to health is impaired embryo development prior to the blastocyst stage.”

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein’s clients, Zachary and Kearsten Walden were recently featured in The New York Times sharing their story of how they were impacted by CooperSurgical’s failures. Read the article here.

If you were affected by CooperSurgical’s defective embryo solution, we urge you to talk to Women’s Health Lawyer and Lieff Cabraser partner Sarah London today about your rights and potential recovery.

You can call toll-free at 1 800 541-7358 or use the form below.

The information you provide will be held in the strictest confidence, and will help us hold CooperSurgical accountable for laboratory failures that resulted in destroyed embryos as well as significant physical and emotional distress.

Lieff Cabraser represents fertility patients who have been injured by cryogenic storage facilities, fertility clinics, genetic testing laboratories, and IVF supply manufacturers nationwide.

In June 2021, plaintiffs won a $15 million verdict in the San Francisco Pacific Fertility Center cryogenic tank failure egg & embryo destruction lawsuit. The jury found the freezer tank manufacturer to be most at fault, though the clinic also shared some of the blame for the tragic losses. In the 2018 complaint, patients alleged the clinic destroyed or seriously damaged hundreds of cryogenically preserved eggs and embryos stored at its facility in San Francisco after liquid nitrogen depletion in one of its storage tanks.

Lieff Cabraser currently represents families devastated by contaminated Natera preimplantation genetic tests. Because the genetic tests are performed on viable embryos after thawing and before implantation, seeking to confirm the presence or absence of serious birth defects and other illnesses, these faulty test results leave families with devastating losses and impaired future family planning.

Sarah London leads Lieff Cabraser’s fertility practice, investigating and seeking justice against fertility assistance and genetic testing companies including CooperSurgical, Natera, and Ovation for damaging and destroying hopeful parents’ eggs and embryos. Sarah’s leadership in fertility and women’s health litigation includes serving as court-appointed Liaison Counsel in California state court and Interim Class Counsel in the federal class action filed on behalf of families against San Francisco’s Pacific Fertility Center over the Center’s March 2018 destruction of hundreds of frozen eggs and embryos as a result of a leak in a cryogenic storage tank. Sarah also served in a leadership role in successful litigation recovering millions of dollars on behalf of women who suffered serious injuries due to complications from allegedly defective trans-vaginal surgical mesh. Prior to joining Lieff Cabraser, Sarah previously served as a Public Policy Manager and Lobbyist at Planned Parenthood of Kansas.

A partner in Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, Tiseme Zegeye represents consumers, employees, and the injured in individual, complex, and class actions. Tiseme specializes in women’s health, civil rights, and environmental justice cases, including representing women and families in fertility and gynecologic cancer matters and representing the injured in water contamination and wildfire cases. Most recently, Tiseme has taken a lead role within Lieff Cabraser’s fertility practice, assisting hopeful parents seeking justice against fertility companies and IVF supply manufacturers including Pacific Fertility Center, Prelude, Chart, CooperSurgical, and Ovation for failures that occurred during their fertility journeys.

An attorney in Lieff Cabraser’s Nashville office, Hannah Lazarz represents plaintiffs in state and federal courts nationwide in fertility, consumer fraud and product defect cases. Lazarz is a key member of Lieff Cabraser’s fertility practice group, representing hopeful parents whose eggs and embryos have been harmed by fertility companies, IVF genetic testing laboratories, cryogenic storage facilities, and IVF supply manufacturers. Lazarz also contributes to Lieff Cabraser’s growing national practice in civil lawsuits against large institutions and the employees they knowingly protect who committed sexual assault.

“Outstanding work. You went to work and got us maximum offer plus additional compensation. I would highly recommend anyone to Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein law firm. Extremely organized, professional, detail oriented and extremely knowledgeable in personal injury cases.”
-Maurice in New York

“You were responsive to my questions and concerns at all times. The quality of representation was excellent.”
-Jill in Indiana

“I couldn’t be more pleased with how the case resolved. What stands out is your professionalism, personal attention, and concern. This has been a long road, and I am so grateful.”
-Cheryl in Utah

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