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California Expands Tort Liability Under The Novel Market Share Theory: Sindell V. Abbott Laboratories, N. Denise Taylor
California Expands Tort Liability Under The Novel Market Share Theory: Sindell V. Abbott Laboratories, N. Denise Taylor
Pepperdine Law Review
The California Supreme Court, in the novel and unprecedented case of Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories, eliminated the plaintiffs burden of identification of a negligent party, and thus the causation requirement, in a multiple party tort action. In the course of this decision, the court adopted the "market share" theory of liability which dictated in Sindell that nonidentifiable defendant-manufacturers of the generic drug DES would be liable for the damages in proportion to their share of business in the market. The author thoroughly examines various theories of recovery, such as "alternative liability," "concert of action" and "enterprise liability," which the court …
Medical Malpractice: The Right To Recover For The Loss Of A Chance Of Survival, Patricia L. Andel
Medical Malpractice: The Right To Recover For The Loss Of A Chance Of Survival, Patricia L. Andel
Pepperdine Law Review
Traditionally, a plaintiff suffering from misdiagnosis has been precluded from recovery unless he could show that "but for" the misdiagnosis he would have had a better-than-even chance of recovery. While many courts have attempted to avoid this doctrine by reducing the standard of causation, this has led to inconsistent results. The better approach is to recognize that a "chance" of recovery has a compensable value in and of itself This comment will explore the concept of loss of a chance and trace its development as it relates to medical malpractice actions.