Cameron et al. v. Louden et al., [2000] O.T.C. 137 (SupCt)

• Judge: Aitken, J.
• Court: Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
• Case Date: March 10, 2000
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: [2000] O.T.C. 137 (SupCt)

Cameron v. Louden, [2000] O.T.C. 137 (SupCt)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2000] O.T.C. TBEd. MR.047

Lianne Cameron, by her Litigation Guardian The Public Guardian and Trustee v. Dr. C. Gordon Louden and Dr. H. Rabinovitch

(5797/87)

Indexed As: Cameron et al. v. Louden et al.

Court of Ontario

Superior Court of Justice

Aitken, J.

March 10, 2000.

Summary:

In 1986, the plaintiff, an 18-year old epileptic who was taking oral contraceptives, suffered a massive stroke that left her physically and mentally impaired. She endured two operations (incl. a craniectomy). The left side of her body was initially paralyzed. Her left arm was spastic and positioned across her chest, her left hand was perpetually clenched and she needed a brace to walk. She would never be able to live on her own or be employed other than in a sheltered workshop setting. Her I.Q. placed her in the borderline mentally retarded range. Before the stroke, she had finished high school and planned to take a one-year Social Service Worker program. She sued her family doctor and the neurologist who was managing her epilepsy for medical malpractice. She argued that the stroke was caused by a thrombus or an embolus which developed as a result of a state of hypercoagulability of her blood, caused by oral contraceptives in combination with high blood pressure, smoking and a family history of arterial or cardiac disease. She argued that the stroke was predictable and preventable.

The Ontario Superior Court dismissed the action. The stroke was caused by a dissection with thrombus. Both doctors met the standard of care which could reasonably be expected of a normal, prudent family practitioner prescribing oral contraceptives to a teenager and managing the teenager on oral contraceptives and a normal, prudent neurologist during the course of his treatment of the plaintiff. No breach in the standard of care which the defendants owed the plaintiff caused or materially contributed to her injury. The court provisionally assessed general damages of $215,000, past loss of income $245,759 and future loss of income $445,554.

Editor's note: for related cases see 62 O.T.C. 310 and 65 O.T.C. 161.

Damage Awards - Topic 30

Injury and death - Arm and hand injuries - Hand - See paragraphs 425 to 446.

Damage Awards - Topic 33

Injury and death - Arm and hand injuries - Loss of - Or loss of use of arm - See paragraphs 425 to 446.

Damage Awards - Topic 120

Injury and death - Head injury - Resulting in paralysis (including strokes) - See paragraphs 425 to 446.

Damage Awards - Topic 128

Injury and death - Leg injuries - Foot - See paragraphs 425 to 446.

Medicine - Topic 4244.2

Liability of practitioners - Negligence or fault - Treatment with or withdrawal from drugs with side effects (incl. steroids) - See paragraphs 293 to 385.

Medicine - Topic 4248

Liability of practitioners - Negligence or fault - Failure to inform or disclose (incl. treatment choices) - See paragraphs 367 to 385.

Medicine - Topic 4251.3

Liability of practitioners - Negligence or fault - Failure to follow up - See paragraphs 308 to 316 and 400 to 423.

Medicine - Topic 4260.1

Liability of practitioners - Negligence or fault - Taking of medical history - See paragraphs 299 to 307 and 387 to 399.

Torts - Topic 35

Negligence - Standard of care - Particular persons and relationships - Medical doctors and medical personnel - See paragraphs 292 to 423.

Cases Noticed:

Wilkinson Estate v. Shannon (1986), 37 C.C.L.T. 181 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 32].

Snell v. Farrell, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 311; 110 N.R. 200; 107 N.B.R.(2d) 94; 267 A.P.R. 94, refd to. [para. 154].

Athey v. Leonati et al., [1996] 3 S.C.R. 458; 203 N.R. 36; 81 B.C.A.C. 243; 132 W.A.C. 243, refd to. [para. 155].

Webster et al. v. Chapman et al., [1998] 4 W.W.R. 335; 126 Man.R.(2d) 13; 167 W.A.C. 13 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 155].

Alphacell Ltd. v. Woodward, [1972] 2 All E.R. 475, refd to. [para. 156].

Sentilles v. Inter-Caribbean Shipping Corp. (1959), 361 U.S. 107, refd to. [para. 157].

Kungl v. Fallis, [1989] O.J. No. 15 (H.C.), refd to. [paras. 159, 273].

Rothwell v. Raes (1988), 66 O.R.(2d) 449 (H.C.), affd. (1990), 76 D.L.R.(4th) 280 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 159].

Laferrière v. Lawson, [1991] 1 S.C.R. 541; 123 N.R. 325; 38 Q.A.C. 161; 78 D.L.R.(4th) 609, refd to. [para. 160].

Wilsher v. Essex Area Health Authority, [1988] 2 W.L.R. 557; 87 N.R. 140 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 161].

Meringolo v. Oshawa General Hospital et al. (1991), 46 O.A.C. 260 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 161].

Mozersky v. Cushman et al. (1997), 48 O.T.C. 161 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 161].

Crits v. Sylvester (1956), 1 D.L.R.(2d) 502 (Ont. C.A.), affd. [1956] S.C.R. 991, refd to. [para. 269].

Mitchell v. Dixon, [1914] A.D. 519 (S. Africa C.A.), refd to. [para. 271].

Wilson v. Swanson, [1956] S.C.R. 804, refd to. [para. 272].

Rose v. Dujon et al. (1990), 108 A.R. 352 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 273].

Lapointe v. Chevrette (1992), 133 N.R. 116; 45 Q.A.C. 262 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 274].

Ter Neuzen v. Korn - see Neuzen v. Korn.

Neuzen v. Korn, [1995] 3 S.C.R. 674; 188 N.R. 161; 64 B.C.A.C. 241; 105 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 275].

Maynard v. West Midlands Regional Health Authority, [1985] 1 All E.R. 635 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 275].

Hopp v. Lepp - see Lepp v. Hopp.

Lepp v. Hopp, [1980] 2 S.C.R. 192; 32 N.R. 145; 22 A.R. 361, refd to. [para. 276].

Reibl v. Hughes, [1980] 2 S.C.R. 880; 33 N.R. 361, refd to. [para. 276].

Zimmer et al. v. Ringrose, [1981] 4 W.W.R. 75; 28 A.R. 69 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 277].

Videto v. Kennedy (1981), 33 O.R.(2d) 497 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 280].

White v. Turner (1981), 120 D.L.R.(3d) 269 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 281].

Rawlings v. Lindsay (1982), 20 C.C.L.T. 301 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 282].

Walker v. Law (1986), 59 O.R.(2d) 46 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 282].

Ciarlariello et al. v. Schacter et al., [1993] 2 S.C.R. 119; 151 N.R. 133; 62 O.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 283].

Fleming v. Reid and Gallagher (1991), 48 O.A.C. 46; 4 O.R.(3d) 74 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 284].

Rayner v. Knickle and Kingston (1991), 88 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 214; 274 A.P.R. 214 (P.E.I.C.A.), refd to. [para. 286].

Ferguson v. Hamilton Civic Hospital (1983), 144 D.L.R.(3d) 214 (Ont. H.C.), affd. (1985), 18 D.L.R.(4th) 638 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 287].

Arndt et al. v. Smith (1995), 61 B.C.A.C. 57; 100 W.A.C. 57; 126 D.L.R.(4th) 705 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 289].

Malette v. Shulman (1987), 43 C.C.L.T. 62 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 291].

Taylor v. Hogan (1994), 119 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 37; 370 A.P.R. 37 (Nfld. C.A.), refd to. [para. 320].

Vaters v. Daly (1991), 95 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 181; 301 A.P.R. 181 (Nfld. T.D.), refd to. [para. 320].

Lankenau Estate v. Dutton (1986), 37 C.C.L.T. 213 (B.C.S.C.), affd. (1991), 7 C.C.L.T.(2d) 42 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 397].

Andrews et al. v. Grand & Toy (Alberta) Ltd. et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 229; 19 N.R. 50; 8 A.R. 182, refd to. [para. 445].

Lindal v. Lindal, [1981] 2 S.C.R. 629; 39 N.R. 361, refd to. [para. 445].

Morersky v. Cushman et al. (1997), 48 O.T.C. 161 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 446].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Picard, Ellen I., and Robertson, Gerald B., Legal Liability of Doctors and Hospitals in Canada (3rd Ed. 1996), p. 130 [para. 285].

Picard, Ellen I., Legal Liability of Doctors and Hospitals in Canada (2nd Ed. 1984), generally [para. 271].

Counsel:

Richard R. Marks, for the plaintiff;

Mark J. Somerville, Q.C., Jeffrey G. Mutter and Francois Baril, for the defendants.

This action was heard on May 25-27, 31, June 1-4, 7-11, 14-15, 21-25 and 29-30, 1999, by Aitken, J., of the Ontario Superior Court, who delivered the following decision on March 10, 2000.

Please note: The following judgment has not been edited.