Honk News (Warren, OH) – A woman from Ohio, who experienced a miscarriage and faced charges related to abuse of a corpse, is taking legal action against the hospital and medical professionals she claims did not provide adequate care, as well as the police department she alleges wrongfully arrested her.
Brittany Watts initiated a federal lawsuit last week in the Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division against Bon Secours Mercy Health, the parent organization of St. Joseph Warren Hospital, where she received treatment, as well as three employees associated with the hospital. Furthermore, Watts has initiated legal action against the Warren Police Department and the detective involved in the investigation of the case.
On September 19, 2023, Watts, who was 34 years old at the time, started to feel pain and bleeding while being just over 21 weeks pregnant. She arrived at St. Joseph, a Catholic hospital, where medical staff informed her that she was experiencing placenta abruption and subsequently admitted her for care. Watts returned home roughly eight hours later, as her lawyers stated she “received no meaningful treatment or guidance.”
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Her condition took a turn for the worse the following morning, prompting another visit to the hospital. Medical professionals advised her that her “pregnancy was doomed,” and she faced potential risks of “hemorrhaging, sepsis, and death,” until the fetus was removed, as stated in the lawsuit.
However, her legal representatives stated that Watts “suffered in the hospital — essentially without care” for an additional 10 hours before she went back home. The following morning, she entered the bathroom and experienced a heartbreaking loss. A fetus was discovered in the toilet, which Watts claims she never noticed. After tidying up some of the mess in the toilet, she placed it in a bucket and attempted to flush, resulting in an overflow. A lawsuit claims that the fetus, weighing under a pound, became ensnared.
Watts found herself back in the hospital, but during her treatment, a nurse made the decision to contact law enforcement and inaccurately claim that Ms. Watts had engaged in criminal activity, according to the lawsuit. Attorneys for the plaintiff allege that the hospital personnel and law enforcement collaborated to create misleading evidence that wrongfully accused Ms. Watts of criminal activity.
The grand jury chose not to bring charges against Watts. Documents from the court indicate that the grand jury in Trumbull County issued a “no bill” regarding the charge in January 2024. Officials reported that following the disposal of the fetus in the toilet, she departed the residence for a hair appointment.
In a preliminary hearing held in December, Assistant Prosecutor Lewis Guarnieri informed the judge that the matter at hand was not the cause of the baby’s death, but rather the act of disposing of the baby in the toilet and continuing with her day, as reported by The Associated Press. The judge has sent the case forward for trial, resulting in the grand jury’s review.
The attorney representing Watts informed the AP that Ohio legislation did not provide a definitive explanation of what qualifies as a human corpse. Traci Timko, the attorney, expressed her “gratitude” to WKBN after the grand jury’s ruling.
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The attorneys representing the plaintiff contended in the legal action that the hospital did not provide the appropriate level of care for a woman in her situation, which should have included either inducing labor or carrying out a dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedure. However, St. Joseph does not carry out D&E procedures. The lawsuit claims that hospitals must inform patients about alternative locations where the procedure is available. St. Joseph is accused of not fulfilling this obligation. Ultimately, she underwent induction.
After spending approximately 10 hours at the hospital on her second day, with little to no treatment received, Ms. Watts decided to return home. She felt a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, exhaustion, fear, frustration, and sadness—stemming from the lack of care she was promised, her lawyers stated.
The lawsuit claims that after her miscarriage at home and subsequent return to the hospital, staff misleadingly indicated to police that the baby might still be alive, despite being aware that the fetus was not viable.