A woman left in an ambulance after a late-term abortion procedure endured 18 months of surgeries — and now she’s suing the dead doctor’s estate for what she says nearly killed her.
Story Snapshot
- Chanetta Smith was 24 weeks pregnant when she had an abortion at LeRoy Carhart’s Maryland clinic. She left in an ambulance with a ruptured uterus and multiple tears.
- Smith’s lawsuit says she suffered permanent injuries, including a bladder fistula requiring long-term catheterization, and needed surgeries for 18 months.
- Clinic records called the procedure routine and said she was discharged in stable condition — directly contradicting her emergency transport by ambulance.
- Carhart died in 2023, so his estate is the defendant. No one from his side has publicly disputed the core facts of Smith’s injuries.
What Happened at the Clinic
Chanetta Smith was referred to Carhart’s Maryland facility by a national abortion services company at 24 weeks of pregnancy. The procedure performed was a dilation and evacuation, a second-trimester method. According to Smith’s lawsuit, things went badly wrong during the procedure. She suffered uterine perforation, uterine rupture, and multiple tears to her vagina and cervix. She was taken away by ambulance immediately after.
The clinic’s own records told a very different story. Medical records from Carhart’s facility described the procedure as routine and stated Smith was discharged in stable condition. That description stands in sharp contrast to the hospital records and Smith’s account, which describe an emergency situation requiring immediate transport. The gap between those two versions sits at the heart of her lawsuit.
The Injuries Smith Says She Lives With
Smith’s court filing lists permanent and disabling injuries. The most serious is a right ureteral vaginal fistula — an abnormal opening between the urinary tract and the vagina that causes bladder leakage. The condition requires long-term catheterization. She also alleges multiple vaginal and cervical tears. To repair the damage, Smith underwent surgeries repeatedly over an 18-month period, according to reporting on the case.
The lawsuit also claims Carhart failed to get Smith’s informed consent before the procedure. Specifically, it alleges she was not told about the various risks and alternatives involved in a late-term abortion at 24 weeks. Failing to warn a patient about known risks is a recognized basis for medical malpractice claims. Under the law, a doctor must show that a patient understood and accepted the specific dangers of a procedure before it was performed.
A Deceased Defendant and a One-Sided Public Record
LeRoy Carhart died in April 2023 from liver cancer. That means the doctor at the center of the case cannot testify or give his account of what happened. His estate is the named defendant. As of now, no public response from the estate has disputed Smith’s core claims about her injuries, her emergency transport, or the gap in the clinic’s records. The absence of any counter-evidence leaves Smith’s version of events largely unchallenged in the public record.
Breaking News: Chanetta Smith nearly died at the hands of late-term abortionist Leroy Carhart. Now she's suing his estate & CARE Reproductive Health clinic. This is what the abortion industry does to women. We stand with Chanetta. #ProLife #BoycottAbortion #WomenDeserveBetter pic.twitter.com/eb1i5RJxpe
— Frank Pavone (@frfrankpavone) June 26, 2026
It is worth noting that the outlets covering this story — Live Action, Operation Rescue, and LifeNews — are all advocacy organizations opposed to abortion. No major mainstream medical or legal news outlet has reported on the case. That does not make Smith’s injuries less real or her lawsuit less valid. But readers should know the framing comes from sources with a clear point of view. The core facts — the lawsuit, the court filing, the hospital records — are documented. The legal question of negligence versus known medical complication will be decided in court.
Sources:
lifesitenews.com, liveaction.org, abortiondocs.org