Cohen M E
Am J Law Med. 1978 Summer;4(2):211-32.
Park v. Chessin, a recent New York case, marked the first step toward judicial acceptance of the theory of "wrongful life." Wrongful life suits involve a cause of action brought by an infant, against a physician, alleging that the physician's failure to inform the child's parents of the possibility of their bearing a severely defective child was the proximate cause of the infant's birth, and thus resulted in harm to the infant. This Note explores recent legal developments that give precedential support to the development of the theory of wrongful life. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the awarding of monetary damages is an appropriate remedy for the wrongful life plaintiff, and it examines possible methods for measuring those damages. The Note concludes with an analysis of the capability of courts to adjudicate wrongful life suits, and of the possible ramifications of judicial acceptance of the theory of wrongful life.
帕克诉切辛案是纽约近期的一个案例，标志着司法界迈向接受“错误出生”理论的第一步。“错误出生”诉讼是指婴儿对医生提起的诉讼，指控医生未能告知孩子的父母其生育严重缺陷婴儿的可能性，这是婴儿出生的直接原因，从而给婴儿造成了伤害。本注释探讨了近期的法律发展，这些发展为“错误出生”理论的发展提供了先例支持。此外，它表明判给金钱赔偿是对“错误出生”原告的适当补救措施，并研究了衡量这些损害赔偿的可能方法。本注释最后分析了法院裁决“错误出生”诉讼的能力，以及司法界接受“错误出生”理论可能产生的影响。
