P, a patron, is stabbed. If D causes an actual physical impact to P's person, D is liable not only for the physical consequences of that act but also for all of the emotional or mental suffering which flows naturally from it. But where there has been no physical impact or direct physical injury to P, courts limit P's right to recover for mental suffering. Where there is not only no impact, but no physical symptoms of the emotional distress at all, nearly all courts deny recovery . No one is hurt.
P has no physical symptoms, but is distraught for weeks.
The general rule means that if P, by virtue of his exposure to a certain substance, suffers an increased likelihood of a particular disease, P may generally not recover for the purely emotional harm of being at risk. This causes P to have a greatly increased risk of throat cancer. In these courts, so long as P observes the danger or injury to X, and X is a close relative of P, P may recover. P is born with serious birth defects resulting from the drug. Suppose, however, that the injury occurred before the child was even conceived , but that some effect from the injury is nonetheless suffered by the later-conceived child.