Harriton v Stephens [2002] NSWSC 461

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Harriton v Stephens [2002] NSWSC 461 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20558/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 11-12 March 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 12 June 2002

PARTIES : Alexia Harriton by her tutor George Harriton (Plaintiff) Paul Richard Stephens (Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Studdert J

COUNSEL : G. Segal (Plaintiff) P.R. Garling SC/S. Woods (Defendant) SOLICITORS : Maurice Blackburn Cashman (Plaintiff) Blake Dawson Waldron (Defendant) CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - rubella during pregnancy - whether duty of care owed by the medical practitioner attending on mother to child subsequently born - if so, content of duty - child born profoundly disabled due to rubella virus - whether breach of duty of care to child - causation of infection in utero not by reason of neglect on part of defendant. "WRONGFUL LIFE" claim - whether maintainable - impossibility of determining whether "damage" suffered - impossibility of assessing compensatory damages - public policy considerations. LEGISLATION CITED : Limitation Act, 1969 Atlanta Obstetrics & Gynecology Group v Abelson 398 S.E.2d 557 (Ga. 1990) Azzolino v Dingfelder 337 S.E.2d 528 (N.C. 1985) Beardsley v Wierdsma 650 P.2d 288 (Wyo. 1982) Becker v Schwartz 386 N.E.2d 807 (N.Y. 1986) Blake v Cruz 698 P.2d 315 (Idaho 1984) Bruggeman v Schimke 718 P.2d 635 (Kan. 1986) Bryan v Mahoney (1994-95) 182 CLR 609 Burton v Islington Health Authority; De Martell v Merton & Sutton Health Authority (1992) 3 All ER 833 CES v Superclinics (Australia) Pty Limited (1995-96) 38 NSWLR 47 Cowe v Forum Group, Inc. 575 N.E.2d 630 (Ind. 1991) Curlender v Bio-Science Labs 106 Cal. App. 3d 811, 165 Cal.Rptr 477 De Martell v Merton & Sutton Health Authority (1992) 3 All ER 833 Dumer v St Michael's Hosp. 233 N.W.2d 372 (Wis. 1975) Edwards v Blomeley [2002] NSWSC 460 Elliott v Brown 361 So. 2d 546 (Ala. 1978) Ellis v Sherman 515 A 2d 1327 (Pa. 1986) Emeh v Kensington & Chelsea & Westminster Health Authority (1985) QB 1012 Flanagan v Williams 623 N.E. 2d 185 (Ohio Ct App. 1993) Frost v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police (1999) 2 AC 455 Garrison v Medical Ctr of Del. Inc. 581 A.2d 288 (Del. 1989) Gleitman v Cosgrove (1967) 227 A 2d 689 Greco v United States 893 P.2d 345 (Nev. 1995) Harbeson v Parke-Davis Inc. 656 P 2d 483 Hayne v Nyst (unreported, Williams J, Qld Supreme Court, 7 October 1995) Haynes v Bendall (1991) 172 CLR 60 Kassama v Magat (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, February 2001) Kush v Lloyd 616 So. 2d 415 (Fla. 1992) Lacroix v Dominique [2001] MBCA 122 Lininger v Eisebaum 764 P 2d 1202 (Colo. 1988) CASES CITED : Mahony v Kruschich (Demolitions) Pty Limited (1985) 156 CLR 522 McFarlane v Tayside Health Board (2000) 2 AC 59 McKay & Anor v Essex Area Health Authority & Anor [1982] 1 QB 1166 Melchior & Anor v Cattanach & Anor [2001] QCA 246 Nelson v Krusen 678 S.W. 2d 918 (Tex. 1984) Parkinson v St James & Seacroft University Hospital (2001) 3 All ER 97 Perre v Apand Pty Limited (1999) 198 CLR 180 Perruche, Cour de Cassation, France (17 November 2000) Petre v Opelousas Gen. Hosp. 517 So. 2d 1019 (La. Ct App. 1987); 530 So. 2d 1151 (La. 1988) Phillips v United States 508 F Supp 537 Procanik v Cillo (1997) NJ 339; 478 A 2d 755 Quinn v Blau (Superior Court of Connecticut, 12 December 1997) Rees v Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust (2002) EWCA Civ. 88 Siemieniec v Lutheran Gen. Hosp. 512 N.E. 2d 691 (Ill. 1987) Skelton v Collins (1966) 115 CLR 94 Smith v Cote 513 A. 2d 341 (N.H. 1986) Strohmaier v Associates in Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.C. 332 N.W. 2d 432 (Mich. Ct App. 1982) Thake v Maurice (1986) QB 644 Trident General Insurance Co. Limited v McNiece Bros Pty Limited (1988) 165 CLR 107 Turpin v Sortini 643 P 2d 954 Udale v Bloomsbury Area Health Authority (1983) 1 WLR 1098 Viccaro v Milunsky 551 N.E. 2d 8 (Mass. 1990) Vievers v Connolly (1995) 2 Qd R 325 Walker by Pizano v Mart 790 P. 2d 735 (Ariz. 1990) Waller & Ors v James & Ors [2002] NSWSC ?? Watt v Rama (1972) VR 353 Wilson v Kuenzi 751 S.W. 2d 741 (Mo. 1988) X & Y (by her tutor X) v Pal & Ors (1991) 23 NSWLR 26 Assessment of Damages for Personal Injury and Death, Luntz, 4th ed. The Law of Torts in Australia, Trindade & Cane, 3rd ed. The Law of Torts, Fleming, 9th ed. DECISION : See para 82.