Woman Reunites with Half-Sisters Through DNA Test, Then Files Lawsuit for Share of Father's Multi-Million Wrongful Death Settlement

A woman from Massachusetts discovered her potential half-sisters after taking a DNA test to learn more about her absent father. Roughly a year later, she filed a lawsuit seeking a portion of her fathers $28 million wrongful death settlement.

The story began in February 2023, when 28-year-old Carmen Thomas of Lexington submitted a DNA sample through 23andMe to find information about her father, who she had been told was named Joe Brown. After years of trying to locate him without success, the DNA results led her to two likely half-sisters, Kali and Abigail Brown. Thomas soon learned that their father had passed away five years earlier.

The three women met for the first time on March 18, sharing what was described in court documents as a wonderful day together. Thomas continued to communicate with her half-sisters and even met their mother, Kristin Eckhardt. Lawyers for Thomas stated in the complaint that she was welcomed into the family unconditionally and that no one questioned her paternity.

However, on April 7, 2023, Kali sent Thomas a message asking for space, explaining that she and her sister were still grieving their father. That was reportedly the last contact between Thomas and the family.

In January 2024, Thomas searched online to commemorate what she believed would have been her fathers death anniversary. She discovered the wrongful death case tied to Joe Brown, who had died in January 2018 from an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm at a medical center in Salem, Massachusetts. The case initially involved a multimillion-dollar medical malpractice award, which later increased to $28 million, though it was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.

By February 2024, Thomas filed a lawsuit against the Brown sisters and Eckhardt, claiming she was entitled to part of the award as Joe Browns daughter. The lawsuit reportedly shocked the family. According to their attorney, the sudden claim added to the trauma of losing their father and was ultimately resolved in favor of the sisters and their mother, partly because of the time elapsed since Joe Browns death.

Court records show that the complaint was dismissed in March, with all parties waiving the right to appeal. Requests for comment from lawyers representing both sides were not immediately returned.

Author: Connor Blake