Posted on 12/19/2020 9:48:24 PM PST by xomething
Tennessee’s highest court recognized unborn babies as victims, if only inadvertently, in a ruling this month about mothers who use opioids while pregnant.
WZTV 17 Nashville reports the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously agreed that babies may sue drug companies for harm that they suffered in the womb from their mothers’ use of the drugs.
The ruling dealt with the Tennessee Drug Dealer Liability Act and drug companies that produce prescription opioids, according to the report.
The act allows babies to “sue for damages caused by the use of illegal opioids if there is clear and convincing evidence that the drug companies knowingly facilitated the distribution of opioids in the illegal drug market,” according to the ruling.
Here’s more from the report:
The lawsuit stems from a case in Campbell County Circuit Court. The law declares that “the sale and use of illegal drugs affects every community in the country and takes a substantial toll on society.”
Although the drug companies argued that they were not the type of “drug dealers” the Legislature meant to target with the Act, Justice Lee, on behalf of the Court, wrote that the drug companies could not “invoke their status as otherwise lawful companies to avoid civil liability” for intentionally flooding “communities in East Tennessee with highly addictive opioids they knew would be sold in the illegal drug market.”
The ruling is another example of how inconsistent and wrong the law is about abortion.
Except when it comes to abortion, unborn babies are recognized as unique, individual human beings who deserve rights and protections. Biologically, it’s now clear that a unique, individual human life begins at conception; and, except with abortions, doctors treat unborn babies as second patients. Doctors now perform surgeries on unborn babies to correct problems with spina bifida and other disabilities. Under the law, many states also recognize unborn babies as second victims of violent crimes against their mothers.
Despite all this, abortions remain legal in all parts of the United States, and nearly 1 million unborn babies continue to be killed in elective abortions each year.
How ‘bout fetal alcohol syndrome? Sue Brown-Forman or Coors?
The mother is taking these. The baby should sue the mother and let it stop, there.
To paraphrase the Bard, “Kill all the trial lawyers.”
That would imply that babies in the womb are human beings.
They just can’t make up their minds, can they?
Of effing please
That’s ridiculous and it’s just tort law money grubbing by Morgan and Morgan sorts
What about moms free will
#tnstupidagain
Sue Mexico. Sue China. Sue the city leaders who are having their pockets lined by the drug cartels.
Shriners hospital?
Amazing what is required for a live baby to get recognition for being just that in the womb.
does this tell people that they should abort their babies rather then have them born incase they test positive for drugs?....
That’s just stupid. Why not sue the junkie who took them
Junkie has no money.
intentionally flooding
Thats dumb. Where has that been proven? White vans driving around filled with pills? Seriously?
These are pills, not ballots.
Did I really need to add a sarcasm tag?
You are correct
How does a fetal tissue mass have standing? s/
“That would imply that babies in the womb are human beings.”
They’re still not considered human beings...just paychecks.
Feel bad for people there in pain, who need opiods - no more for you in Tennessee. The only other option there is to prohibit their distribution to women of child-bearing age...but that is likely to get shot down.
It's a small price to pay to impede adults from engaging indisapproved chemical recreations.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.