Family Files Major Lawsuit Against Beverly Hills Doctor and Clinic for Medical Malpractice After Learning Wrong Sperm Was Used in Fertility Procedure
Today, Clarkson Law Firm, a leading public interest law firm based in California, filed a lawsuit against Dr. Hal Danzer in California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles. The suit alleges that Dr. Danzer committed medical battery by impregnating the plaintiff with a stranger’s sperm rather than her husband’s sperm, without their consent. The family did not discover that the father had no biological relation to his children until this year, 2024 – nearly forty years after their twin girls were born.
“Dr. Danzer violated our client’s bodily autonomy and the incredible trust placed in his hands – some call this medical rape,” said Tracey Cowan, partner at Clarkson Law Firm. “Regardless of the name, Dr. Danzer’s actions are unethical and unlawful and he must be held accountable.”
In 1983, the young couple dreamt of building a family together. When they struggled to conceive naturally, they turned to venerated Beverly Hills fertility doctor, Dr. Danzer, to help them have children. After undergoing a successful Intrauterine insemination (IUI), the couple tragically lost premature twins shortly after birth. While grieving the loss, the couple’s desire to have children deepened even further. They tried IUI again and, in 1986, were thrilled to give birth to healthy twin girls. One of their daughters is now expecting her first child.
Unbeknownst to them until this year, 2024, Dr. Danzer used and impregnated the plaintiff with the sperm of a stranger – Dennis Goldman. The twin girls discovered the shocking revelation through Ancestry.com and 23andMe tests that showed they had no relation to their father.
Adding on to Dr. Danzer’s clear medical malpractice and negligence, the stranger was not even a suitable sperm donor, due to his own medical issues and family medical history – putting the plaintiff’s children at medical risk. Furthermore, the DNA tests revealed Goldman was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, whereas the client’s family was raised devoutly Catholic. Goldman has since passed at a young age due to medical complications.
The family’s research indicates Goldman’s sperm was used by Los Angeles Fertility Institute (LAFI) – Danzer’s former, now-shuttered, clinic – to conceive over a dozen babies across Los Angeles over the course of the past two decades.
“Instead of celebrating the birth of his first grandchild, this grief-stricken father is reminded daily that he has no biological relation to the children he raised,” said Olivia Davis, associate at Clarkson Law Firm. “Dr. Danzer’s medical malpractice has devastated this family, causing irreparable emotional harm. Dr. Danzer must answer for this heinous act.”
Dr. Danzer currently practices at the Southern California Reproductive Center (“SCRC”), which he co-founded. While he is a well-known physician in the Beverly Hills area, Dr. Danzer has failed to disclose that he belongs to an emerging class of fertility specialists who have disregarded industry standards and committed malpractice with devastating consequences.
“Dr. Danzer manipulated the trust of a young couple looking to grow their family, and concealed what he had done to escape any responsibility,” said Ryan Clarkson, managing partner at Clarkson Law Firm. “That ends now. No couple should be the victim of medical malpractice and forced to endure this nightmare after pouring their hearts into raising their family for close to 40 years.”
