Court Opinion

ID: 9620659
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 05:45:32.354561+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:04:52.681316
License: Public Domain

Price, J.,
dissenting: The result of this decision is to hold that a child born alive may maintain an action for prenatal injuries. The further result is that an action may be maintained for the wrongful death of a viable unborn child. Neither of these causes of action existed under the common law. The right to maintain an action for the wrongful death of a living person did not exist in this state until the enactment of our wrongful-death statute — and it is silent on the question whether an action may be maintained for the wrongful death of a child born dead.
I frankly concede that in a given case common simple justice dictates that parents should be allowed to maintain such an action— but it is my opinion that if such a cause of action is to be created in this state it should be by legislative enactment and not by this court.
Parker, C. J., concurs in the foregoing dissenting opinion.