Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that a woman can pursue a wrongful-death lawsuit against an obstetrician after a miscarriage when she was five to six weeks pregnant.
Justices on Friday reversed a trial judge's order dismissing the wrongful-death claim.
In the civil case ruling, the justices cited a 2009 state law making it a crime to kill or harm "an unborn child in utero at any stage of development."
The case involved a newly pregnant woman experiencing abdominal cramping and fever. The physician suspected an ectopic pregnancy and administered an injection to stop the progression. It was determined later that the pregnancy was uterine.
The woman sued, arguing that the injection caused pregnancy loss. The physician said that the pregnancy was already failing and that she followed standard practices.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
