Ann Schroeder, by Her Guardian Ad Litem Marion Schroeder; and John Schroeder and Marion Schroeder

Summary

The New Jersey Supreme Court held that pediatricians owed a duty to the parents of a child with cystic fibrosis to disclose the diagnosis, and therefore the partial summary judgment granting the physicians immunity from liability for the incremental medical costs of a second child was improper. The Court reversed the Appellate Division’s judgment and remanded for trial. Justice Schreiber dissented, arguing that recognizing a duty to parents logically entails a cause of action for the child, while Justice Handler concurred in part and dissented in part, supporting the reversal but also urging recognition of the infant’s wrongful‑life claim.