Hensley v. Heavrin

This appeal is from a circuit court order denying a demurrer for failure to state a cause of action to respondent’s complaint for medical malpractice. The crux of appellant’s demurrer is that he could not have foreseen that his alleged negligence in making an incorrect diagnosis that respondent had syphilis would result in emotional injury to her, deterioration of her marital and family relationships, and injuries caused by her husband’s violent reaction to her apparent extramarital activities.

The cause of action, as stated by the complaint, grew out of a laboratory analysis of a blood…