Civil Liability for Children Who Are Harmed during the Fetal Period in the Legal System of Iran, France, and America

The comprehensive claim of damage caused during the fetal period and its harmful consequences throughout life is an issue that is less identified and evaluated. Regarding the civil responsibilities related to bodily damages, most of the studies conducted have been about the liability resulting from death and human injury after birth rather than the liability arising from birth itself and fetal injuries. The question may be raised as to whether the birth is considered a loss so that it is followed by civil liability. It seems that although birth is a divine blessing, sometimes, even if rarely, it is equal to harm, such as when a child is born injured, defective, sick, or disabled due to the fault and harmful actions during the fetal period and may suffer damage for the rest of his life. The existence of such a responsibility is confirmed by a comparative study of the legal systems of the United States, France, and Iran and jurisprudential views using analytical and hermeneutic methods. In this article, it is shown that the fetus has the capacity to acquire rights after blowing the soul, and the child after reaching perfection or his compulsory guardian will have the right to demand compensation for the damages, hence, the current laws need to be revised.