Ward v. Garvin

Dec 9, 1937
Appeal, 325
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Barnes
Per Curiam,

Plaintiffs, husband and wife, seek recovery of damages from ‍‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‍defendant, a physician, upon a claim that he made a mistake in diagnosing an injury to the wife’s ‍‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‍foot. The court below entered a compulsory nonsuit, which it refused to take off, relying upon our decisions, ‍‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‍the latest of which is Duckworth v. Bennett, 320 Pa. 47, 181 A. 558, where we held that a physician is ‍‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‍not responsible for an error of judgment or a mistake in diagnosis in the treatment of a patient. ‍‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‍The action of the court below was correct.

Judgment affirmed.