Missouri Bill Would Make Abortion Practitioners Pay More in Malpractice Lawsuits
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 11, 2008
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) — A new bill in the Missouri legislature would make abortion practitioners fork over more money when they are on the losing side of a medical malpractice lawsuit. Currently, Missouri law limits non-economic damage awards at $350,000, but the measure would exempt abortions from the limit.
Pro-life groups support the bill because it would make it easier to put abortion practitioners out of business if they injure women in botched abortions.
Rep. Scott Muschany, a Republican, is the sponsor of the measure, which has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and received a recent hearing.
“I want to protect young, vulnerable women,” Muschany told the Columbia Missourian newspaper.
He said his bill was also important because, while women may not suffer economic damages resulting from a botched abortion, they confront “considerable pain and suffering damages" such as a failed abortion causing infertility or damage that would prevent a woman from having a child.
“Not being able to have kids doesn’t affect a person economically,” he told the newspaper.
The Missourian said John Coffman of the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri told the panel he opposes the bill and said his group would file suit against it if the legislature approves it.
“The whole intent is transparent,” he said. “They want to make it so intolerable to perform one type of procedure as to not want to do it. It has nothing to do with the health and safety of women.”
Susan Klein of Missouri Right to Life backed the bill while Michelle Trupiano from Planned Parenthood Affiliates in Missouri opposed it.
Related web sites:
Missouri Right to Life – https://www.missourilife.org
