Opinion ID: 1267933
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether A Parent Can Have Separate and Additional Recovery For Medical Expenses and Loss of Services Resulting From Injuries To A Child

Text: Appellants assert that because the parent's claims for her child's medical expenses and loss of services do not constitute a bodily injury within the definition of loss as contained in Section 15-78-30(f), such damages are not recoverable under the Tort Claims Act. Appellants' argument was recently addressed in the case of Gosnell v. Dorchester School District No. 2 , ___ S.C. ___ 389 S.E. (2d) 865 (1990). In Gosnell , we held that a spouse of an injured party was entitled to recover for economic losses as a result of incurred medical expenses. In addressing whether the spouse was also entitled to recover for loss of consortium under the Tort Claims Act, we stated that: (1) Section 15-78-50 permits recovery to any person who may suffer a loss proximately caused by a tort committed by the State except that the State would not be liable for a tort of an employee if a private person would not be liable for that tort under South Carolina law, and (2) Section 15-78-30(f) defines a loss not only as bodily injury, but as any other element of actual damages recoverable in actions for negligence ... Because a spouse is entitled to pursue an action for consortium at common law, and because damages awarded for loss of consortium are compensatory and therefore actual damages, we held that loss of consortium is within the definition of loss contained in Section 15-78-30(f) and compensable. Similarly, we find that the parent's claims for loss of services and medical expenses are within the statutory definition of loss as contained in Section 15-78-30(f) and are therefore recoverable.