Driskell, Fitz-Gerald & Ray won a $8.75 million verdict in Mesa county on behalf of 3 mothers who were unwittingly inseminated with the semen of their OBG/YN, Paul Jones after seeking Artificial Insemination by Donor procedures in the 1970s and 80s. The verdict was the first of its kind in Colorado and one of the first in the world, after direct-to-consumer tests recently made it easier for families to investigate their genetic heritage and in some cases, discover acts of fertility fraud. “Before genetic tests were readily available, unscrupulous doctors could rest easy knowing their unethical and manipulative behavior would never be discovered,” said Patrick Fitz-Gerald, attorney for the plaintiffs. “Now, families like these, who were tricked into having these doctors’ children, can find justice in the courts.” Four more families settled with Jones and his clinic, Women’s Healthcare of Western Colorado before going to trial. “But unless everyone who used these doctors over the last 50 years takes a genetic test, we may never know how many times he did this to people,” said Fitz-Gerald.
