Fertility, IVF, and Embryo/Egg Loss Injuries

Lieff Cabraser represents hopeful parents who have been injured by cryogenic storage facilities, fertility clinics, genetic testing laboratories, and IVF supply manufacturers nationwide. We are currently investigating cases involving reproductive health and fertility assistance services against multiple companies including CooperSurgical, Ovation Genetics/Ovation Fertility, and Thermo Fisher.

To learn more about negligence and failures in the fertility process by cryo storage facilities, fertility clinics, genetic testing laboratories and nationwide IVF supply manufacturers, or to talk to a lawyer at Lieff Cabraser about your potential case, use the form below or call us toll-free at 1 800 541-7358. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence, and there is no cost or obligation for our review of your case.

Lieff Cabraser represents individuals and families harmed by a massive laboratory failure involving preimplantation genetic tests (PGT) performed by Ovation Genetics/Ovation Fertility on embryo samples, where thousands of PGT results generated by Ovation over the span of months were found to be unreliable and inconclusive. These tests are performed on viable embryos after thawing and just before implantation, seeking to confirm the presence or absence of serious birth defects and other illnesses. Families have reported receiving PGT results from Ovation and making significant family-planning decisions based on these results, including the implantation or destruction of precious embryos, only to later discover the reports they received were faulty.

Lieff Cabraser represents numerous hopeful parents who allege CooperSurgical’s solution used in the IVF process resulted in the destruction of their precious embryos. CooperSurgical is a global supplier of products for IVF and reproductive clinics worldwide, including the media that clinics use to develop the fertilized eggs into embryos. Prospective parents have accused CooperSurgical of failing to conduct thorough testing on their embryo culture media, and 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’s clients, Zachary and Kearsten Walden, were recently featured in The New York Times and USA Today sharing their story of how they were impacted by CooperSurgical’s failures.

Lieff Cabraser currently represents families devastated by faulty Natera preimplantation genetic tests. Natera, Inc. is a clinical genetic testing company based in San Carlos, California that specializes in non-invasive, cell-free DNA testing technology, with a focus on women’s health, cancer, and organ health. Natera boasts a standard failure rate of less than 2% for the genetic test it offers to families undergoing IVF to confirm the health of their precious, irreplaceable human embryos.

Yet, for months, Natera used a defective testing solution manufactured by Thermo Fisher Inc. during the PGT testing process, resulting in hundreds of “no-call” results. Because the genetic tests are performed on viable embryos after thawing and before implantation in an effort to confirm the presence or absence of serious birth defects and other illnesses, these faulty test results left families with devastating losses and impaired future family planning.

Lieff Cabraser is investigating reports that Columbia University Fertility Center mismanaged their storage and inventory of cryopreserved human eggs and embryos. Individuals have reported being informed they had no viable embryos being stored by Columbia, only to later receive a collections letter for the costs of storage of viable embryos that they did not know existed. If you have experienced mismanagement of your reproductive material stored at Columbia University Fertility Center, we urge you to talk to Women’s Health Lawyer and Lieff Cabraser partner Sarah R. London today about your rights and potential recovery.

Lieff Cabraser is investigating reports of laboratory failures and surprising IVF results at the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine (CRM) of Weill Cornell Medicine. Individuals have reported multiple laboratory deficiencies, including laboratory procedure deficiencies resulting in failed IVF cycles and a lack of accreditation. If you were affected by a fertility laboratory failure at CRM/Weill Cornell, we urge you to talk to reach out to our team today about your rights and potential recovery.

In June 2021, plaintiffs won a $15 million verdict in the Pacific Fertility Center cryogenic tank failure & embryo destruction lawsuit. Lieff Cabraser represented families and served in leadership roles in both state and federal court, where partner Sarah London was the court appointed Liaison Counsel in state court and Interim Class Counsel in the federal action. 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, hopeful parents 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 is committed to achieving justice for our litigation clients through class actions and individual lawsuits. Since 1972, we have helped recover over $129 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients worldwide. Lieff Cabraser’s Fertility team brings decades of experience in women’s and reproductive health litigation, and is led by Sarah London who has numerous leadership appointments seeking justice for injured consumers and hopeful parents using fertility assistance.

Lieff Cabraser partner Sarah London serves in lead roles in women’s health cases, including work as court-appointed Liaison Counsel and Interim Class Counsel in the federal class action filed on behalf of families in May 2018 against San Francisco’s Pacific Fertility Center over the Center’s March 2018 allegedly negligent 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 served as a Public Policy Manager and Lobbyist at Planned Parenthood of Kansas.

A partner in Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, Tiseme Zegeye 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. Prior to joining Lieff Cabraser, Tiseme was a Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York, where she litigated to protect access to abortion. Previously she was a Legal Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union Women’s Rights Project in New York, where she worked to fight gender discrimination in employment, education, and housing.

An attorney in Lieff Cabraser’s Nashville office, Hannah Lazarz works on litigation in state and federal courts nationwide representing plaintiffs in fertility, consumer fraud and defective medical device cases. Hannah is a key member of Lieff Cabraser’s national practice representing families undergoing IVF who have been injured by genetic testing laboratories, cryogenic storage facilities, and supply manufacturers.

Reilly Stoler is a partner in Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office who helps represent families undergoing IVF who have been injured by genetic testing laboratories, cryogenic storage facilities, and supply manufacturers. Before joining the team at Lieff Cabraser, Reilly worked as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Edward M. Chen of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and as an associate at Baker Botts LLP and Fenwick & West LLP in San Francisco.

A partner in Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, Jallé Dafa is a skilled trial and appellate attorney for consumers in high-stakes class action litigation across a variety of industries. Jallé is part of Lieff Cabraser’s national practice representing families undergoing IVF who have been injured by genetic testing laboratories, cryogenic storage facilities, and supply manufacturers.

Caitlin Woods, an associate at Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, is a skilled attorney with experience in mass tort, sexual abuse, personal injury, civil rights, employment, and antitrust litigation. Caitlin is part of Lieff Cabraser’s national practice representing families affected by IVF-related issues, including injuries caused by genetic testing laboratories, cryogenic storage facilities, and supply manufacturers.

Amelia Haselkorn, an associate at Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, is a dedicated advocate for consumers and workers affected by corporate negligence and data privacy violations. Amelia is part of Lieff Cabraser’s national practice representing families undergoing IVF who have experienced harm from genetic testing laboratories, cryogenic storage facilities, and supply manufacturers.

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