ARTICLES

We're Sorry

Planned Parenthood's Huge Loss Ignored by Media

By Eric Reslock

A $672,610 judgment against Planned Parenthood Golden Gate was levied on February 21 by a jury in San Francisco Superior Court after hearing testimony from a woman who remained pregnant with an undetected twin after a botched abortion. Members of the jury later said they would have gone higher if permitted under California law. The damage will be reduced because non-economic medical malpractice suits are capped at $250,000 in California. The three-week trial only focused on damages, not whether Planned Parenthood was liable. The attorney for Planned Parenthood Golden Gate refused to turn over relevant documents causing superior court judge Douglas Munson to sanction the defense and declare that Planned Parenthood was liable for damages. The verdict went unreported by the wire services or television news. The San Francisco Examiner had a short item on February 24, but many Californians learned of the case from reporting done in the Washington Times.

Joe Brown, director of public relations with the San Francisco Chronicle said, "We missed it and we're sorry." Brown said that the assistant managing editor for Metro, Dick Rogers, told Brown that he is assigning a reporter to the case.

In December of 1997, the victim, known as "J. B." in court documents, went to a Planned Parenthood abortion facility and had a first-trimester abortion while she was conscious and awake. J. B. asked the nurse present if the abortionist, Doctor Abramson, had "gotten everything." According to the plaintiff, Doctor Abramson assured her that everything had gone well and there had been no complications. J. B. returned to Planned Parenthood Golden Gate two weeks later for a follow-up visit to confirm that she had returned to her normal pre-pregnancy state. Court documents state that despite her complaints that she still "felt pregnant" and had not begun to menstruate, as was still experiencing symptoms of pregnancy, like nausea and vomiting. Planned Parenthood staff told her that her that her condition was normal and to return to the clinic in three weeks for another check-up. According to the plaintiff, a Planned Parenthood employee told her "not to worry, that she had undergone seven abortion procedures and there was nothing to her post abortion symptomology."

Even after J. B. called the facility to complain that she was still not feeling well, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate did not re-examine her until February 18, when J. B. demanded a urine test. The abortion facility staff determined that she was still pregnant, and 20 weeks along -- long past the time when a suction abortion will work. According to the plaintiff, Planned Parenthood apologized and sent her away. J. B. went to the Buena Vista Women's Consultation Center where an ultrasound revealed that the baby was missing one of its arms and one of its legs. The second procedure at the end of February took three days to complete. According to the plaintiff, J. B. has suffered "severe depression requiring psychiatric therapy and the need to take anti-depressants."

After two days of deliberations, the jury awarded the woman $650,000 for mental anguish, $1,870 in past medical costs, $14,500 for future psychiatric expenses and $6,240 in lost earnings.

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