60-1901. Cause of action.
(a) If the death of a person is caused by the wrongful act or omission of another, an action may be maintained for the damages resulting therefrom if the former might have maintained the action had such person lived, in accordance with the provisions of this article, against the wrongdoer, or such wrongdoer's personal representative if such wrongdoer is deceased.
(b) As used in article 19 of chapter 60 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, the term "person" includes an unborn child.
(c) As used in this section, the term "unborn child" means a living individual organism of the species homo sapiens, in utero, at any stage of gestation from fertilization to birth.
(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a wrongful death action if the death is of an unborn child by means of:
(1) Any act committed by the mother of the unborn child;
(2) any lawful medical procedure performed by a physician or other licensed medical professional at the request of the pregnant woman or her legal guardian;
(3) the lawful dispensation or administration of lawfully prescribed medication; or
(4) a legal abortion.
(e) If any provision or clause of this act or application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this act are declared to be severable.
History: L. 1963, ch. 303, 60-1901; L. 2013, ch. 48, § 2; July 1.