Schirmer v. Mt. Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecologic Associates, Inc.

844 N.E.2d 1160, 108 Ohio St. 3d 494
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 3, 2006
DocketNo. 2004-0296
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 844 N.E.2d 1160 (Schirmer v. Mt. Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecologic Associates, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schirmer v. Mt. Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecologic Associates, Inc., 844 N.E.2d 1160, 108 Ohio St. 3d 494 (Ohio 2006).

Opinions

O’Connor, J.

{¶ 1} We are asked to consider whether the parents of an unhealthy child born following negligent genetic counseling or a negligent failure to diagnose a fetal defect or disease may bring suit for the costs of having to raise and care for an impaired child. We hold that such a suit may be brought under traditional medical-malpractice principles and that the costs recoverable are those arising from the pregnancy and birth of the child. No consequential economic or consequential noneconomic damages may be recovered for the care and rearing of the child.

I. Facts and Procedural History

{¶ 2} Plaintiffs-appellants and cross-appellees, Helen and Richard Schirmer, initiated this action by filing a complaint asserting medical negligence and lack of informed consent against various defendants, including appellees and cross-appellants, Mt. Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecologic Associates, Inc., Kevin R. Fitzgerald, M.D., Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Martha Walker, M.S., and Howard M. Saal, M.D. The Schirmers alleged that defendants did not adhere to [495]*495the required standards of care in monitoring Mrs. Schirmer’s pregnancy prior to the 1997 birth of their son, Matthew. The Schirmers also claimed failure to warn and failure to obtain the Schirmers’ informed consent for treatment methods and modalities.

{¶ 3} The pertinent facts are as follows.1 Before conceiving Matthew, Mrs. Schirmer had several obstetrical problems that caused the Schirmers to seek genetic testing and counseling. The testing revealed that Mrs. Schirmer has a chromosomal condition, referred to as a balanced translocation of chromosomes 11 and 22, which puts her at risk for bearing children with serious birth defects.

{¶ 4} After conceiving Matthew, Mrs. Schirmer underwent a chorionic villus sampling (“CVS”) test. The testing indicated that the fetus was probably a female with the same chromosomal condition as Mrs. Schirmer and would therefore develop normally. Mrs. Schirmer also underwent several ultrasound tests to rule out abnormalities of the fetus. It was reported to the Schirmers that the studies showed that the fetus was developing normally.

{¶ 5} On September 9, 1997, Mrs. Schirmer gave birth to Matthew. Subsequent genetic testing of Matthew revealed that he had inherited a structurally abnormal extra chromosome known as Trisomy 22. The condition caused Matthew to have severe and permanent disabilities.

{¶ 6} The Schirmers alleged that because the genetic makeup of the fetus appeared to match that of Mrs. Schirmer, a possibility existed that the CVS had erroneously sampled maternal rather than fetal tissue. They argue that the defendants negligently performed and interpreted the diagnostic tests and that they were negligent in their failure to recommend further tests that would have revealed Matthew’s genetic abnormality. They claim that had they received such information, they would have opted to terminate the pregnancy.

{¶ 7} In their complaint, the Schirmers asserted three claims for damages: (1) damages relating to Mrs. Schirmer’s pregnancy and delivery of Matthew (i.e., obstetric costs and pain and suffering of pregnancy and delivery), (2) costs associated with raising and supporting a disabled child (i.e., consequential economic damages), and (3) emotional and physical injuries to the Schirmers resulting from the added burdens of raising and supporting a disabled child (i.e., consequential noneconomic damages).

{¶ 8} After months of proceedings before the trial court, the court journalized an agreed entry in which it recorded various stipulations by the parties and entered judgment. The Schirmers dismissed their claim for damages relating to [496]*496the pregnancy and pain and suffering of delivery of Matthew. The court then granted defendants’ motions to dismiss the remaining counts of the Schirmers’ complaint for failure to state a cognizable claim. Defendants argued that Ohio does not allow recovery for consequential economic and consequential noneconomic damages in a wrongful-birth action. The trial court agreed, finding, “Ohio law allows only the recovery of damages relating to the pregnancy and pain and suffering of delivery in wrongful birth actions,” thereby adopting the “limited damages” rule, explained below. Because the Schirmers had dismissed their claim for such damages, the remainder of their complaint was dismissed for lack of legally recoverable damages.

{¶ 9} The Schirmers appealed. The appellate court affirmed in part and reversed in part, holding that “because of the close causal nexus alleged between the medical negligence and the genetic harm to the Schirmers’ child, and because of the absence of the need to calculate the value of nonbeing in determining the amount of damages, the allegations in the Schirmers’ complaint state a valid medical claim. The measure of their damages is limited to those consequential, economic damages of raising their disabled child over and above the ordinary child-rearing expenses.” 155 Ohio App.3d 640, 2003-Ohio-7150, 802 N.E.2d 723, ¶ 1. But the court held that the Schirmers could not recover noneconomic damages, holding that such damages require a court to weigh the value of being and nonbeing, which is impermissible. Id. at ¶ 36.

{¶ 10} This cause is now before this court upon the acceptance of the Schirmers’ discretionary appeal and the defendants’ cross-appeal. Combined, the direct appeal and cross-appeal contest the existence of a “wrongful birth” tort in Ohio and the damages available under such a tort.

II. The Prenatal Torts

{¶ 11} We have examined the so-called prenatal torts, or birth-based medical-malpractice actions, on several occasions. There are three typical categories of these actions: wrongful pregnancy, wrongful birth, and wrongful life. “In a wrongful pregnancy action, one or both parents of a child born following a negligently performed sterilization procedure bring suit for the costs of having an unplanned child. * * * Most United States jurisdictions recognize this cause of action. * * * In a wrongful birth action, the parents of an unhealthy child born following negligent genetic counseling or negligent failure to diagnose a fetal defect or disease bring suit for the costs of having to raise and care for an impaired child, arguing that they were wrongfully deprived of the ability to avoid or terminate a pregnancy to prevent the birth of a child with the defect or disease.” (Emphasis sic.) Simmerer v. Dabbas (2000), 89 Ohio St.3d 586, 587, 733 N.E.2d 1169. Until today, the legitimacy of this second cause of action had not been addressed by this court. “Finally, in a wrongful life action, an [497]*497unhealthy child born following either a negligently performed sterilization of one of his or her parents or negligent genetic counseling or testing argues that he or she has been damaged by being born at all. This court has rejected this cause of action, as have most other jurisdictions.” (Footnotes omitted and emphasis sic.) Id.

{¶ 12} The Schirmers assert that their claim is one for wrongful birth, but the defendants argue that the claim is actually nothing more than a derivative of a claim for wrongful life. Defendants quote a Missouri case in which the court held that no cause of action for either wrongful life or wrongful birth could be maintained. Wilson v. Kuenzi (Mo.1988), 751 S.W.2d 741.

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Bluebook (online)
844 N.E.2d 1160, 108 Ohio St. 3d 494, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schirmer-v-mt-auburn-obstetrics-gynecologic-associates-inc-ohio-2006.