A Connecticut doctor has settled a lawsuit that sparked a debate over when a fetus can be considered a person for legal purposes.
A couple sued Stamford doctor Corinne de Cholnoky for allegedly causing the death of a fetus in 2011. Parents Melanie and Floyd Foster claimed the doctor ruptured Melanie's fetal membrane while trying to remove an intrauterine birth control device.
The 22-week old fetus was born alive but died less than two hours later. At issue was whether a doctor could be sued over the death of a fetus that could not survive outside the womb.
Settlement terms weren't disclosed. A judge dismissed the case Thursday, after it was settled just before trial.
De Cholnoky and her attorney didn't immediately return messages Monday. The Fosters' lawyer declined to comment. Her defense had previously argued that she couldn't be sued for the wrongful death of a nonviable fetus.
