Legal Opinion
Williams v. Baker
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Decided April 9, 1990No. 84-1508PublishedCited by 144 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
BELSON, Associate Judge:
The issue on appeal is whether a mother can recover for emotional distress caused by witnessing her child suffer from negligently inflicted harm if the mother did not reasonably fear for her own safety as a result of the negligent conduct. We hold that she cannot.
I
Appellant Joyce Williams brought her three-year-old son, Keith Graham, to the emergency room of the Children’s Hospital National Medical Center. Keith was suffering from malaise, sore throat, gagging, and a high fever. Keith was examined by Mark Baker, M.D., who diagnosed the child as suffering from a minor…
2Cases cited63 opinions
- Palsgraf v. Long Island R.R. Co.New York Court of Appeals · 1928
- M. A. P. v. RyanDistrict of Columbia Court of Appeals · 1971
- Dillon v. LeggCalifornia Supreme Court · 1968
- Sinn v. BurdSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1979
- Molien v. Kaiser Foundation HospitalsCalifornia Supreme Court · 1980
58 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by144 opinions
- Consolidated Rail Corporation v. GottshallSupreme Court of the United States · 1994
- Hedgepeth v. Whitman Walker ClinicDistrict of Columbia Court of Appeals · 2011
- Clohessy v. BachelorSupreme Court of Connecticut · 1996
- Drejza v. VaccaroDistrict of Columbia Court of Appeals · 1994
- Kerrigan v. Britches of Georgetowne, Inc.District of Columbia Court of Appeals · 1997
139 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.