Opinion ID: 1779199
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: This Court's holding

Text: ¶ 25. Thus, we hold today that expert testimony is required to assist the finder of fact in determining whether a particular risk is material, requiring disclosure to the patient prior to a medical procedure. In the event of conflicting expert testimony, the finder of fact must evaluate the basis for each expert opinion and decide which is more credible. This determination is no different from other issues requiring expert testimony. ¶ 26. The record in the case sub judice indicates that there were several risks of the vasectomy which the Whittingtons claim were not disclosed. However, the Whittingtons produced no expert testimony to establish that these risks were material and should have been disclosed. Thus, the Whittingtons' claim of lack of informed consent must fail. ¶ 27. Our review of the record in this case leads us to the conclusion that the jury had no reasonable basis to determine that material risks of a vasectomy included any of the undesired results of the procedure which the Whittingtons claim were not disclosed. Any such determination by the jury would have been pure speculation.