Alabama Supreme Court: Woman Can Sue Doc for Wrongful Death After Miscarriage

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 last month 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.