Christie Clinic and deceased doctor named in lawsuit under new Illinois fertility law

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — A mother and daughter are suing Christie Clinic and a deceased doctor under a new Illinois law meant to address fertility treatment fraud.

Paula Duvall and her daughter Erin Culver have named Bradley D. Adams and Christie Clinic in a lawsuit regarding a fertility treatment almost 50 years ago.

According to the suit, Duvall sought fertility treatment with Dr. Adams in the early 70s. He agreed to perform intrauterine insemination, a relatively new procedure at the time, using semen from an anonymous donor. The doctor told Duvall that he would be obtaining donations from a University of Illinois medical student.

As a result of the procedures in November of 1973, Duvall became pregnant and Adams provided all of her prenatal care. Her daughter, Erin Culver was born in August of 1974. Adams died in 1989.

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In 2019, Culver submitted her DNA to Ancestry.com and 23AndMe.com to learn more about her genealogy and more information about the anonymous student who donated his sperm.

Later in 2022, Culver was alerted to a DNA match from Ancestry.com. Through a conversation, Culver learned that the matched relative was Dr. Adam's granddaughter.

This discovery led Duvall and Culver to realize that Adams had used his own sperm to inseminate Duvall back in 1973.

Amy R Wheatley of Stein Law and Ellyn J. Bullock of Bullock Law, LLC, are serving as attorneys for Duvall and Culver.

Wheatley and Bullock believe that this case is the first to fall under a law that went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year.

The law, which was sponsored by State Senator David Koehler (D-Illinois), allows victims of fertility fraud to bring action against health care providers.

Fertility fraud occurs when a health care provider knowingly or intentionally uses their own human reproductive cells during an assisted reproductive treatment without the patient’s informed written consent.

WAND reached out to Christie Clinic for comment on the case. The following statement was provided by Zach Sehy, General Counsel, COO, Christie Clinic:

“Christie Clinic has received the lawsuit in question and our legal team is currently reviewing the allegations which are said to have occurred in 1973. Christie Clinic won’t be able to answer any questions regarding the deceased Dr. Bradley Adams or comment until at least this review is complete. We are taking these allegations very seriously.”