Michelle Williams was injured in a car crash but her unborn child was fine. Doctors said she needed surgery to avoid long-term complications and, to avoid exposing the child to radiation and "other risks", they recommended an abortion:
Williams followed the doctors' advice.The Illinois Appellate Court will now hear Williams' wrongful death lawsuit that claims her abortion was brought on by the car crash. Paul Wolf, Williams' attorney, argued that Manchester (the other driver) should be found liable because "it is reasonably foreseeable that if you injure a pregnant lady, she might have to end the pregnancy to treat herself.''Now, in the first case of its kind in Illinois, Williams has sued the man for wrongful death because she claims his actions led to the death of her fetus. Under Illinois' Wrongful Death Act, a fetus is considered a person.
[snip]
In an interview Wednesday, Williams -- an out-of-work bartender at the time of the collision -- said she had bought clothing and toys and was excited about her first pregnancy. "I planned on having this child,'' she said. "I was crying. I didn't know what to do.''
Because I don't know the details, I'm not going to add commentary beyond suggesting that this is a sad case in which decisions made that reflect a blatant disregard for the life of the child.
The minute that woman signed her child's death warrant she lost any right to be compensated. She was entitled to compensation to injury to her, and to her child, but once she decided that a "broken" baby wasn't good enough, then it's her choice to have a dead baby. Nobody is responsible for her preferring a dead baby to one that might be injured.
What next? Parents snapping their kids' necks at the accident scene then suing for wrongful death?
She lost my sympathy when she signed her child's death warrant.