Strict Liability for Sperm?
The ABA Journal notes an interesting case from a federal district court Pennsylvania, Donovan v. Idant Laboratories (pdf). In 1995, Donna Donovan, the plaintiff, was artificially inseminated with sperm provided by Idant Laboratories, the defendant. Ms. Donovan signed a consent form in which Idant represented that “(1) semen stored at Idant is exceptionally safe; (2) Idant has a screening program that far exceeds mandated standards and (3) Idant’s donors go through a rigorous screening process to ensure that they have a good genetic background and history.”
Donovan gave birth to a daughter, Brittany, in January 1996 using sperm from Idant Donor G738. Brittany was diagnosed with developmental difficulties related to her status as a carrier of the Fragile X gene (FMR1). Testing revealed that Donor G378, not Donna Donovan, carried the Fragile X gene. Donna Donovan sued Idant under a multitude of theories,* both as Brittany’s guardian and on her own.
