An Ohio woman is suing a hospital, doctors, and police after what she describes as a heartbreaking and traumatic experience following a miscarriage. Brittany Watts, who was 34 at the time, says she didn’t receive proper medical care and was then wrongfully accused of a crime. Her federal lawsuit, filed last week, names Bon Secours Mercy Health, which operates St. Joseph Warren Hospital in Warren, Ohio, along with three hospital employees and the Warren Police Department.
The lawsuit recounts a devastating series of events. In September 2023, Watts was about 21 weeks pregnant when she began experiencing pain and bleeding. She went to St. Joseph Hospital, where doctors said she had a condition called placenta abruption, a serious complication. Despite being admitted, Watts says she didn’t receive meaningful treatment or clear guidance and was sent home after about eight hours.
The next morning, her condition worsened. Watts returned to the hospital, where doctors told her that her pregnancy was no longer viable and that she was at risk of severe complications like hemorrhaging and sepsis if the fetus wasn’t removed. But instead of receiving immediate care, Watts says she spent another 10 hours in the hospital with little being done. Frustrated and scared, she went home again.
The following day, Watts tragically miscarried in her bathroom. She says she never saw the fetus, which was less than a pound and hidden in the toilet. After cleaning up, she placed some tissue in a bucket and flushed the toilet, which caused it to overflow. She later learned the fetus had become trapped in the toilet.
Watts returned to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment, but during her visit, a nurse reportedly called the police and accused her of wrongdoing. According to the lawsuit, hospital staff and police collaborated to create false reports that led to Watts being charged with abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony. She faced up to a year in prison for what her lawyers describe as simply having a miscarriage at home.
The case sparked outrage among reproductive rights advocates, who argued that such charges could discourage women from seeking medical help after a miscarriage. Watts’ lawyers say the hospital not only failed to provide the standard care she needed, such as inducing labor or performing a dilation and evacuation procedure (D&E), but also failed to inform her of other facilities where she could get proper treatment. Instead, she was left feeling confused, unsupported, and heartbroken.
After her arrest in October 2023, the case moved forward despite concerns about its fairness. During a preliminary hearing in December, an assistant prosecutor argued the issue wasn’t how the baby died but that Watts flushed the fetus and went on with her day. Watts’ lawyers countered that Ohio law doesn’t clearly define what constitutes a human corpse. In January 2024, a grand jury in Trumbull County declined to indict Watts, effectively clearing her of the charges.
Watts is now seeking justice through her lawsuit. She accuses the hospital of failing to meet its responsibilities under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which ensures emergency care for anyone who needs it. She also claims the police violated her rights by arresting and interrogating her without cause.
In a statement, Bon Secours Mercy Health said they are committed to serving their patients with compassion and integrity but declined to comment further, citing patient privacy. The Warren Police Department has not released a statement regarding the case.
Watts says she filed the lawsuit to hold those involved accountable and to ensure no one else has to go through what she endured. Her story sheds light on the challenges women face in accessing proper healthcare and the risks of being criminalized for personal medical tragedies.
