Edwards v. University of Chicago Hospitals & Clinics

Mary Phillips filed the instant defamation action on behalf of her daughter, plaintiff Ruby Edwards, a 14-year-old unmarried girl. It was claimed that a diagnosis of “atopic [sic] pregnancy” contained in insurance claim forms submitted by defendant, the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics, to Ms. Phillips’ health insurance company imputed unchastity on the part of the plaintiff, and was libelous per se. The trial court dismissed plaintiff’s amended complaint on the grounds that: (1) the insurance forms were subject to a reasonable innocent construction; (2) imputations of unchastity…