Fertility Clinics Embryo Disaster Investigation | What happened?

Unfortunately, the US Fertility Industry is largely unregulated, with no meaningful oversight, voluntary error reporting by fertility clinics, and tragic cases of lost, destroyed, or otherwise improperly handled embryos. As one expert notes, America’s hands-off approach to the oversight of reproductive practices has “left a gaping hole for a booming, unregulated market fraught with fraud and abuse.” In 2016, a national ratings website found that 18-24 percent of fertility patients reported damaged or destroyed samples, among a host of other errors.

“Keep in mind that these families have entrusted their most valuable property in the entire world – their frozen embryos – to these facilities and clinics. We want to make sure that these devastating tragedies never happen again.” Peiffer Wolf attorney Adam Wolf has handled a multitude of cases in which medical professionals and facilities were accused of either destroying or losing eggs, embryos, and other genetic material.

Tragically, many fertility clinics across the country have destroyed embryos in the past two years by using a batch of oil that was corrupted. A study from 2017, published by the National Library of Medicine, previously warned about the problems of oil contamination:

“Several reports have shown compromised embryo development caused by batches of oils contaminated with peroxides, alkenals and aldehydes, Triton X-100 and zinc.” (The overlaying oil type influences in vitro embryo production: differences in composition and compound transfer into incubation medium between oils)

Were you the victim of a Fertility Clinics Embryo Disaster?

After being contacted nearly a decade ago by a client whose embryos were lost or destroyed, the attorneys of Peiffer Wolf have fought hard to hold fertility clinics accountable for their negligence. Since then, we’ve been able to represent hundreds of the strongest and most amazing families in a number of fertility issues: lost embryos, destroyed embryos, inadequate medical testing, fertility doctor misconduct, fertility fraud, embryo implantation into the wrong woman, wrong sperm used to fertilize embryos, and countless others. Standing beside our clients, we’ve been able to provide a platform for other families to step forward and tell their stories. Moreover, we’ve been able to provide a pathway to recovery for their losses.

If you have received a notice from your fertility clinic informing you of an accident that has caused the loss of your embryos, you should contact Peiffer Wolf immediately. You can fill out a Contact Form or call us at 415-766-3544 for a Free Consultation.

Fertility Industry | Key Information

• The $2.1 billion fertility center industry in the United States is big business.
• More than one out of 10 women end up seeking out fertility-related services from the 480 U.S. clinics, resulting in 69,000 live births a year – nearly 2 percent of all children born annually.
• In the absence of meaningful state and regulatory oversight of the fertility center world, it would be comforting to think that a system of industry self-regulation would work as a substitute. But the self-regulation exists today is weak and full of holes.
• The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority oversees nearly every aspect of 69,000 fertility procedures a year at 131 licensed clinics in the United Kingdom. The key elements of the work of the Authority are as follows: (1) clinics must apply for a license from the Authority to operate; (2) licenses are granted for up to four years at a time; (3) inspections are carried out periodically and can be done on a surprise basis; (4) inspections can result in recommended changes to clinic practices and even outright license revocation; (5) the Authority sets standards for clinics to ensure high quality care; (6) it provides guidance to clinics and research centers on how to meet all legal requirements. The HFEA’s actions are highly transparent, including the online publication of the outcomes of all clinic inspections. It also provides the public with information about IVF and other procedures.