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Woman discovers sisters through DNA test, sues them for $28M inheritance share
A Massachusetts woman who discovered two long-lost half-sisters through a DNA test went on to sue them just weeks later
A Massachusetts woman who discovered two long-lost half-sisters through a DNA test went on to sue them just weeks later, attempting to claim a part of a multimillion-dollar malpractice settlement linked to their late father.
Half-sisters found through DNA test
Carmen Thomas, 28, took a 23andMe test in February 2023, which revealed that she was biologically related to Kali and Abigail Brown. The sisters’ father, Joe (also known as Joseph) Brown, had died in 2018 after an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm was not treated in time, according to a Daily mail report.
Joe, 43, had arrived at Salem Hospital in January 2018 with intense pain radiating from his upper abdomen to his chest and back, according to court filings. Despite spending nearly 24 hours in the hospital, his breathing difficulties and pain worsened. Doctors eventually realised he had an aortic aneurysm, but the diagnosis came too late for life-saving intervention. He died the following day.
Family won $28.8 million for delayed diagnosis
In the years after his death, Joe’s wife, Kristin Eckhardt, and daughters, Kali and Abigail, filed a medical negligence lawsuit against Salem Hospital. They argued that the hospital failed to diagnose the aneurysm for roughly 20 hours — a delay they claimed cost him his life.
In April 2023, a jury ruled in their favour and awarded the family $28.8 million.
Just a month earlier, Carmen Thomas had contacted Kali, hoping to introduce herself after learning of their biological connection.
Reunion turns tense amid financial demands
In her own lawsuit filed later, Thomas described a heartwarming reunion with her two half-sisters — full of photos, bonding moments, and meetings with extended relatives. But the Brown family’s response told a very different story.
According to their opposition filing, Kali and Abigail “were very upset and hesitant” to meet Thomas but agreed to do so “to be kind to this woman.”
The sisters' lawyer, Joseph Lipchitz, wrote that Thomas became “very assertive and possessive” almost immediately.
(Also read: Chinese man discovers neither of his sons is biologically his after DNA test prompted by fight)
The filing claimed Thomas quickly began demanding the family cover her “gas, food, and alcohol,” and that she allegedly threatened to harm herself if they didn’t respond to her texts. Lipchitz said that once Thomas became aware of the malpractice payout, matters deteriorated further.
Lawsuit resolved in family’s favour
According to the filings, Kali attempted to distance herself from Thomas in April 2023. The situation then “came to a head” when the family learned Thomas had referred to their father as a “dead beat dad.” Following this, they “cut off all contact.”
The Browns also disputed Thomas’s claim of being Joe Brown’s daughter, noting that her mother, Elizabeth Ruth Thomas, “has never contacted the Brown Family claiming that she had a relationship with Mr. Brown.” They pointed out that Thomas never reached out to Kristin during the probate process and did not file any paternity action regarding Brown.
Lipchitz told the Wall Street Journal that the litigation brought by Thomas was “resolved favorably” for the Brown family. “The death of their father was extraordinarily traumatic, as you can imagine. That was compounded by this putative heir all of a sudden showing up and demanding money,” he added.
