Court Opinion

ID: 9648064
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 14:00:44.739849+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:55.475020
License: Public Domain

GRANT, Justice,
concurring.
I agree that the majority opinion correctly applies the case law as laid down by the Texas Supreme Court in this matter. There is, however, no legitimate justification for *721denying tort damages for an unborn child. There has been much discussion in our time about abortion, but the landmark case of Roe v. Wade recognizes the important and legitimate interest that the State has in protecting human life, and the United States Supreme Court specifically provides that the State’s interest becomes compelling at the stage of viability when the fetus is presumably capable of being alive outside the mother’s womb. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S.Ct. 705, 35 L.Ed.2d 147 (1973). The Supreme Court further states in Roe v. Wade that state regulation which is protective of fetal life after viability has both a logical and a biological justification. See also Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. -, 112 S.Ct. 2791, 120 L.Ed.2d 674 (1992). This reasoning applies to the granting of damages as well as penal prohibitions.
The Texas Supreme Court said in Witty v. American General Capital Distributors and reiterated in Blackman v. Langford, “[N]o cause of action may be maintained for the death of a fetus under the wrongful death statute until the right to bring such action is afforded by the legislature.” Blackman, 795 S.W.2d 742 (Tex.1990); Witty, 727 S.W.2d 503, 506 (Tex.1987). I would urge the Texas Legislature to consider this issue and join the thirty-eight states which now provide that wrongful death actions can be brought on behalf of a stillborn, viable fetus.6

. Eich v. Town of Gulf Shores, 293 Ala. 95, 300 So.2d 354 (1974); Summerfield v. Superior Court of Maricopa County, 144 Ariz. 467, 698 P.2d 712 (1985); Hatala v. Markiewicz, 26 Conn.Sup. 358, 224 A.2d 406 (1966); Worgan v. Greggo and Ferrara, Inc., 50 Del. (11 Terry) 258, 128 A.2d 557 (1956); Greater Southeast Community Hospital v. Williams, 482 A.2d 394 (D.C.1984); Porter v. Lassiter, 91 Ga.App. 712, 87 S.E.2d 100 (1955); Wade v. United States, 745 F.Supp. 1573 (Haw.1990); Volk v. Baldazo, 103 Idaho 570, 651 P.2d 11 (1982); Chrisafogeorgis v. Brandenberg, 55 Ill.2d 368, 304 N.E.2d 88 (1973); Britt v. Sears, 150 Ind.App. 487, 277 N.E.2d 20 (1971); Dunn v. Rose Way, Inc, 333 N.W.2d 830 (Iowa 1983); Hale v. Manion, 189 Kan. 143, 368 P.2d 1 (1962); Mitchell v. Couch, 285 S.W.2d 901 (Ky.1955); Danos v. St. Pierre, 402 So.2d 633 (La.1981); State ex rel. Odham v. Sherman, 234 Md. 179, 198 A.2d 71 (1964); Mone v. Greyhound Lines, Inc., 368 Mass. 354, 331 N.E.2d 916 (1975); O'Neill v. Morse, 385 Mich. 130, 188 N.W.2d 785 (1971); Verkennes v. Corniea, 229 Minn. 365, 38 N.W.2d 838 (1949); Rainey v. Horn, 221 Miss. 269, 72 So.2d 434 (1954); O’Grady v. Brown, 654 S.W.2d 904 (Mo.1983); White v. Yup, 85 Nev. 527, 458 P.2d 617 (1969); Poliguin v. MacDonald, 101 N.H. 104, 135 A.2d 249 (1957); Di Donato v. Wortman, 320 N.C. 423, 358 S.E.2d 489 (1987); Salazar v. St. Vincent Hospital, 95 N.M. 150, 619 P.2d 826 (1980); Hopkins v. McBane, 359 N.W.2d 862 (N.D.1984); Stidam v. Ashmore, 109 Ohio App. 431, 167 N.E.2d 106 (1959); Evans v. Olson, 550 P.2d 924 (Okla.1976); Libbee v. Permanente Clinic, 268 Or. 258, 518 P.2d 636 (1974); Amadio v. Levin, 509 Pa. 199, 501 A.2d 1085 (1985); Presley v. Newport Hospital, 117 R.I. 177, 365 A.2d 748 (1976); Re Certification of Question of Law from United States Dist. Ct., 387 N.W.2d 42 (S.D.1986); Fowler v. Woodward, 244 S.C. 608, 138 S.E.2d 42 (1964); Nelson v. Peterson, 542 P.2d 1075 (Utah 1975); Vaillancourt v. Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, 139 Vt. 138, 425 A.2d 92 (1980); Moen v. Hanson, 85 Wash.2d 597, 537 P.2d 266 (1975); Baldwin v. Butcher, 155 W.Va. 431, 184 S.E.2d 428 (1971); and Kwaterski v. State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Co., 34 Wis.2d 14, 148 N.W.2d 107 (1967).