Woman Sues Nebraska Planned Parenthood, Botched Abortion Nearly Killed Her 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 3, 2007
Lincoln, NE (LifeNews.com) — A Nebraska woman is suing Planned Parenthood after an abortion at its facility resulted in the perforating of her uterus and a severe loss of blood. The abortion perforated the woman’s uterus and, according to doctors who trated her later, could have killed her.
The unnamed woman filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood of Nebraska and Council Bluffs on Friday with the help of Lincoln attorney Jefferson Downing.
The suit was filed in Lancaster County District Court and the woman has issued a complaint to the Nebraska Health and Human Services Department.
"Our client has filed these complaints to bring to light the negligent actions of Planned Parenthood and Dr. (Meryl) Severson," Downing said in a statement.
The woman had the abortion at the Lincoln facility last month and the abortion perforated her uterus. She was ultimately taken to a local hospital where she lost 80 percent of her blood and experienced severe pain.
An ultrasound done prior to the abortion found the woman was eight weeks pregnant and had a tilted uterus.
After waiting several hours, the woman was taken into an exam room, according to the Lincoln newspaper, and given a shot in her cervix. She then heard a suction sound and "immediately complained of excruciating pain," according to the lawsuit.
She told the abortion practitioner and his assistants to stop, but Severson allegedly replied, "We can’t stop."
According to the lawsuit, three Planned Parenthood employees held the woman down while Severson completed the abortion. The woman experienced severe pain and bleeding afterwards and ultimately experienced three seizures by the time she was rushed to BryanLGH Medical Center East.
A hospital report said her uterus was perforated in the abortion and doctors there had to perform an emergency hysterectomy because of the severe damage to her body.
"Had she not received emergency care when she did, it is my professional opinion that the patient could have hemorrhaged to death," the doctor said, according to a sign statement Downing obtained.
Downing said the woman felt violated by the abortion and her treatment at Planned Parenthood and was not named in the lawsuit to protect her privacy.
Chris Funk, president of Planned Parenthood’s local affiliate, told the Lincoln Journal Star that he hasn’t seen the lawsuit and couldn’t comment on it.
The newspaper reports that Severson resigned form the University of Nebraska Medical Center in March 2001 after doing an abortion there outside college policy. He subsequently joined Planned Parenthood as an abortion practitioner.
The woman seeks medical expenses and damages totaling $36,850 in the case.
