From the Lioness' Den...

Suing a Doctor for Child Rearing Costs

The Mom Blogs has the following for this week's topic:

"Woman Sues Doctor for Child-Rearing Costs After Failed Abortion
Wednesday, March 07, 2007

BOSTON — A woman who had an abortion but still gave birth has filed a lawsuit against two doctors and a family planning organization seeking the costs of raising her child.

The complaint was filed by Jennifer Raper, 45, last week in Suffolk Superior Court and still must be screened by a special panel before it can proceed to trial.

Raper claimed in the suit that she found out she was pregnant in March 2004 and decided to have an abortion for financial reasons, The Boston Globe reported in its Wednesday editions.

Dr. Allison Bryant, a physician working for Planned Parenthood at the time, performed the procedure on April 9, 2004, but it “was not done properly, causing the plaintiff to remain pregnant,” according to the complaint.

Raper then went to see Dr. Benjamin Eleonu at Boston Medical Center in July 2004, and he failed to detect the pregnancy even though she was 20 weeks pregnant at the time, the lawsuit alleges.

It was only when Raper went to the New England Medical Center emergency room for treatment of pelvic pain in late September that year that she found out she was pregnant, the suit said.

She gave birth to a daughter on Dec. 7, 2004.

Raper and her lawyer, Barry C. Reed Jr., refused comment when contacted by the newspaper, and a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood said the organization does not comment on pending litigation.

Massachusetts’ high court ruled in 1990 that parents can sue physicians for child-rearing expenses, but limited those claims to cases in which children require extraordinary expenses because of medical problems, medical malpractice lawyer Andrew C. Meyer Jr. said.

Raper’s suit has no mentions of medical problems involving her now 2-year-old daughter."

OK, she had the abortion "for financial reasons".   So why, after she learned the abortion failed, didn't she just put the baby up for adoption?  Since she didn't then I have the question Where is the baby's father?  If she's not married to him, then by all means, she should be getting child support from him.  Of course if he's anything like my ex Dumbass, then that question answers itself.

If she truly can't afford to raise a child, has she ever heard of welfare? She may have to swallow some pride, but that would seem to be an option.  Also, if she can't afford to raise a child, what is she doing hiring a lawyer???? Perhaps she's going through Legal Aid. 

To sue just for general child rearing costs is absurd.  I could maybe see for extraordinary expenses due to medical problems, but that's about it.

If this is allowed, how far away is letting women sue for child rearing costs due to failed birth control? When that starts, sign me up.

Untitled Comment

3:05 PM, Mar. 7, 2007 .. Posted by Bruinsmama

I live in Massachusetts and everybody sues everybody. It is totally outta control!

Untitled Comment

7:41 AM, Mar. 8, 2007 .. Posted by newfieswoman

Me has only this to say....THAT THING needs a good swift kick in the arse........ROAR ROAR ROAR....**do you see me screamin and wavin me arms in cursing out loud for the entire world to hear me**

Give the child to the CAS or is it Child Welfare in the States?? And let the child be adopted into a family that would love it.. Sue the doctor???

Nothing against Americans but why is they always suing each other?? Lady sues McDonald's for her coffee being too hot?? ROAR

grambles/grumbles/rants/roars/steam pour out of ears/ rants/roars/grumbles...