JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Missouri lawmaker is pushing to ban corporations from claiming unborn babies as employees after the untimely death of a pregnant Missouri Department of Transportation employee.
Kaitlyn Anderson was 25-years-old and six months pregnant with her son, Jaxx, when she died in 2021. A loophole in Missouri law led to Anderson’s wrongful death lawsuit being dismissed. When her family tried to press charges for Jaxx’s death, MoDOT claimed Jaxx as an employee .
On Tuesday, the Missouri House of Representatives General Laws committee heard testimony on a bill that would prevent this from happening again. The committee will vote whether to approve the bill next week.
When ABC 17 News asked MoDOT about the lawsuit and proposed legislation, a spokesperson said they cannot comment on pending litigation.
The deadly crash happened in November 2021 on Telegraph Road near Interstate 255, according to previous reporting . Anderson was part of the MoDOT crew working in a closed lane. A man suffering a diabetic seizure crashed into the work zone, killing Anderson, 58-year-old James Brooks and permanently injuring Michael Brown.