Birth can be a beautiful and miraculous event to witness. But most times, it’s also inherently messy. Childbirth always includes blood … and other bodily fluids. Body parts are stretched, rearranged, and sometimes removed entirely to get a baby out and into the world. It’s an ordeal.
Apparently, at least one father wasn’t the least bit prepared for what he was about to see. Instead of handling the shock of the moment privately, he’s seeking compensation, claiming the sight of his wife’s C-section caused him “psychotic illness.”
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He says his reaction to the C-section caused his marriage to 'break down.'
Anil Koppula of Australia filed a lawsuit against the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, according to the New York Post. He claimed his wife’s 2018 cesarean section caused the “breakdown of his marriage.” Koppula said he was encouraged or permitted to observe the delivery.
During the ultimately successful procedure, he saw his wife’s internal organs and her blood. He believes the hospital breached the duty of care it owed him and is liable for damages.
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A medical exam found Koppula did not suffer a significant injury.
As a part of the legal proceedings, Koppula underwent a medical examination. The tests found that "the degree of psychiatric impairment resulting from the injury to the claimant alleged in the claim does not satisfy the threshold level," according to Australian news station 7News. The law in Australia does not allow a person to collect damages for a non-economic loss unless the injury is a significant one.
A judge called the lawsuit an 'abuse of process.'
Koppula is requesting the equivalent of around $650 million in damages, or $1 billion Australian dollars. If you find the whole thing ridiculous, so did the hospital. It denied that it had breached the duty of care and said that Koppula suffered no real injury because of the C-section he witnessed.
A judge shared the same sentiment. Justice James Gorton dismissed the lawsuit, calling it an “abuse of process.”
Koppula represented himself in the lawsuit.
Koppula was requesting damages for his mental health injuries. But later he confirmed that the compensation was for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. The case was ultimately dismissed on September 12. Nice try, buddy.
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