'Wrongful Conception' Lawsuit: $1.1M Awarded To Excelsior Parents

EXCELSIOR, MN — A Hennepin County jury has awarded $1.1 million in damages to an Excelsior couple in a "wrongful conception" lawsuit.

Megan and Steven Szlachtowski sued Minnesota Urology after a triage nurse told Steven Szlachtowski that his post-vasectomy semen sample was negative. It was, in fact, positive.

Four years later, the couple says they love the boy just as much as their other children. But the medical malpractice left them confused and embarrassed.

The question before the jury was how much money in damages the company should have to pay the Szlachtowskis, the Star Tribune reported.

After six days, the jury awarded:

• $450,000 for the past pain, discomfort and embarrassment for Megan
• $150,000 for the emotional distress of Steven
• $15,000 each for for their loss of spousal services to each other
• $62,773 for past health care costs
• $23,815 for Megan’s loss of a bonus from work because she was on maternity leave
• $35,320 for past child rearing expenses
• $386,156 and for the cost of raising their son to the age of 18

The court also instructed the jury to consider any potential value the family might gain from raising the child, in determining the offset to the cost of raising him to age 18.

The jury decided that value was $0.