Court Opinion

ID: 9706387
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 01:42:27.995495+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:22.275093
License: Public Domain

Opinion by
Chief Justice LAMBERT
Concurring in result only.
I concur with the result of the majority opinion. Though artfully written, I believe the majority has strayed from its role with speculation about economic, technological, and social circumstances. Moreover, I believe the majority has too greatly circumscribed the role of this Court in the development of tort law. I reject the view in Smith v. Parrott1 that changes in tort law are exclusively for the legislature.
With those criticisms noted, the majority is correct in declining to create a new lost or diminished chance doctrine. In meritorious cases, the instruction given in this case is broad enough to permit a finding of liability. Here, the jury found no liability, undoubtedly because of Lori’s hopeless diagnosis.
ABRAMSON, J., joins this opinion concurring in result only.

. 175 Vt. 375, 833 A.2d 843, 848 (2003).