Fertility Clinic Sued by Insurer Over Destroyed Embryo Claim

Litigation alleging a Washington state-based fertility clinic destroyed patients’ embryos without their consent is excluded by its insurance policy, its carrier said in a lawsuit.

Several provisions in the health-care professional liability policy issued to Pacific Northwest Fertility and IVF Specialists bar coverage for the claim, and any potential payment for the clinic’s legal defense is capped at $100,000, ProAssurance Specialty Insurance Co. said in a complaint filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington.

The underlying lawsuit brought by two patients alleged the clinic destroyed and discarded seven embryos that were cryopreserved at the ...