Court Opinion

ID: 9585873
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:04:37.285646+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:24:15.906229
License: Public Domain

Bobbitt, J.,
concurring: Plaintiff’s cause of action is grounded on the alleged negligence of the defendant. The allegations embrace two elements: (1) alleged negligence in advising the performance of the operation, and (2) alleged negligence in the performance thereof.
The court holds that the evidence fails to show that defendant’s recommendation that plaintiff undergo the operation was made otherwise than in good faith and in the exercise of the sound judgment of a surgeon of great experience and recognized skill and also fails to show negligence in the performance of the operation. With these holdings I agree.
True, plaintiff alleges that when defendant recommended that the operation be performed, defendant negligently represented to him that the “operation was a simple one which entailed and involved no danger to the plaintiff’s health and body” and that “but for said representations . . . the plaintiff would not have submitted to said operation.” But plaintiff did not allege that said representations were false to the knowledge of the defendant or other facts that might nullify his consent to the operation. In short, plaintiff’s action is not for assault and battery, or trespass to the person, predicated upon allegations of an unauthorized operation.
An unauthorized operation constitutes an assault and battery, i.e., trespass to the person. As stated by Judge Cordozo, speaking for the Court of Appeals of New York: “Every human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his own body; and a surgeon who performs an operation without his patient’s consent commits an assault, for which he is liable in damages. *525Pratt v. Davis, 224 Ill. 300, 79 N.E. 562, 7 L.R.A. (N.S.) 609, 8 Ann. Cas. 197; Mohr v. Williams, 95 Minn. 261, 104 N.W. 12, 1 L.R.A. (N.S.) 439, 111 Am. St. Rep. 462, 6 Ann. Cas. 303. This is true, except in cases of emergency where the patient is unconscious, and where it is necessary to operate before consent can be obtained.” Schloendorff v. New York Hospital, 211 N.Y. 125, 105 N.E. 92, 52 L.R.A. (N.S.) 505, Ann. Cas. 1915C, 581. See also, Bennan v. Parsonnet, 83 N.J.L. 20, 83 Atl. 948; Moos v. United States, 118 F. Supp. 275. In Mohr v. Williams, supra, Brown, J., quotes 1 Kinkead on Torts, sec. 375, viz.: “The patient must be the final arbiter as to whether he will take his chances with the operation, or take his chances of living without it. Such is the natural right of the individual, which the law recognizes as a legal one. Consent, therefore, of an individual, must be either expressly or impliedly given before a surgeon may have the right to operate.” And there is authority to the effect that consent to perform an operation is not valid if induced by representations that are false to the knowledge of the surgeon who makes them. Birnbaum v. Siegler, 273 App. Div. 817, 76 N.Y.S. 2d 173; Pratt v. Davis, supra; Wall v. Brim, 138 F. 2d 478; Nolan v. Kechijian, 75 R.I. 165, 64 A. 2d 866; Robinson v. Crotwell, 175 Ala. 194, 57 So. 23; Wall v. Brim, 145 F. 2d 492.
Whether plaintiff’s evidence would be sufficient for submission to the jury had he elected to bring his action on the ground of injury resulting from an unauthorized operation is not presented for decision on this record. Suffice it to say, plaintiff did not bring such action.
It seems appropriate to say that we have before us only the plaintiff’s testimony as to the alleged representations. Judgment of involuntary nonsuit having been entered at the close of the plaintiff’s evidence, the defendant was not heard as to his version of what occurred.