(CN) - A California mother and daughter filed suit against a Sacramento doctor in state court on Tuesday, saying he artificially inseminated the mother with his own semen without permission and then performed gynecological exams on his own daughter unbeknownst to her for years.
Patrice Grinnell and her daughter Ashley Grinnell seek damages from the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals in Sacramento and the anonymous doctor, who is referred to by his initials G.H. in the complaint, stemming from the infliction of emotional distress, fraud and medical battery.
“Patrice was unaware, did not consent to, and would not have undergone the insemination procedure had she known or been informed that the sperm/semen of G.H. would be used,” the Grinnells said in the complaint.
Patrice Grinnell said G.H. performed an artificial insemination procedure on her in 1987 and that her daughter Ashley Grinnell was born soon after.
G.H. purported that the sperm was from an anonymous donor, but in fact genetic testing undertaken later by Ashley Grinnell revealed the doctor used his own sperm.
Patrice Grinnell retained the services of G.H. as her primary physician until 2015, during which time he also repeatedly examined Ashley Grinnell.
Those examinations including pelvic examinations, meaning Ashley was being examined by her own biological father, a condition she said she would have never agreed to had G.H. not engaged in outright fraud.
“Defendant G.H., M.D.'s conduct of performing pelvic exam(s) on Ashley without telling her that he was her father was done wrongfully, intentionally, recklessly and with conscious disregard for Ashley,” the Grinnells say in the complaint.
Patrice and Ashley Grinnell said they did not learn the identity of Ashley’s father until about March 18, 2018 when they performed genetic testing.
Kaiser Permanente offered the following statement:
“We are just learning of these disturbing allegations regarding a former Kaiser Permanente physician, which, if true, would be a clear violation of trust, ethics and our standards. At Kaiser Permanente, the safety of our members and patients is our top priority. We have initiated a full investigation of this matter to learn the facts, and are committed to working with Patrice and Ashley Grinnell’s attorney and to helping them and their family through this challenging time.
“The physician has retired from Kaiser Permanente and thus no longer practices at our facilities.”
The mother and daughter are seeking punitive damages as well as recovery of the costs of all medical procedures listed in the complaint.
The lawsuit was filed by the Tiemann Law Firm in Sacramento, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Follow @@MatthewCRenda
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
