One of the most thought-provoking aspects of verifying a medical negligence is recognizing and substantiating the proximate cause of the injury sustained by the plaintiff. Without proving causation, an otherwise meritorious case will be lost. The plaintiff must provide expert opinions that prove that the direct and legal cause (proximate cause) of the injury was a breach in the standard of practice by the defendant. Thus, proximate cause is the event(s) connected to the specific injury(s), or in other words, the proximate cause is the primary cause of the injury. It is essentially the determining event.
A proximate cause is an event sufficiently related to an injury that the courts deem the event to be the cause of that injury. Courts have established the "but for" test which states that but for the defendant's …show more content…
This condition required Angelica’s leg to be amputated. To eliminate any remaining cancer cells, minimize the chances of recurrence and prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of Angelica’s body, chemotherapy was suggested and eventually, Angelica was referred Dr. Li. In August of 1993, Angelica was administered the first cycle of the chemotherapy regimen. However, the Soliman spouses filed an action for damages against Dr. Li, claiming, among other things, that Dr. Li had assured them that Angelica would recover in view of 95% chance of healing with chemotherapy. And that when they had inquired about side effect, they claim that Dr. Li mentioned only slight vomiting, hair loss and weakness. Angelica had, however, suffered far greater side effects from the chemotherapy and accordingly, the Solimans claimed that they would not have given their consent to chemotherapy had petitioner not falsely assured them of its side