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Oregon Couple Sues OHSU and Providence Over 1980 Sperm Mix-Up, Seeking $17 Million

DNA testing decades later revealed the husband was not the biological father, prompting the Multnomah County filing.

Overview

  • The complaint, filed Dec. 26, alleges clinic staff used another patient's sperm during a 1981 insemination that led to a birth on Dec. 13, 1981.
  • Plaintiffs identify the alleged biological donor as R.W. and accuse the institutions of concealing the error and failing to notify patients after learning of the claim.
  • The suit seeks $17 million in damages, including $15 million for noneconomic harm and $2 million for counseling and other economic costs.
  • The filing cites chain-of-custody failures and alleges potential inherited health issues for the daughter and possible disease exposure from improper handling.
  • OHSU and Providence declined substantive comment, and a separate OHSU fertility mix-up case filed in 2022 appeared to settle in 2023, according to court records.