title: Engstrom v. Courteau, 1986.
abstract: The plaintiffs were a husband, who had undergone a vasectomy in order not to pass on a hereditary disease, and his wife. After the wife gave birth to a child born with hereditary defects, they brought a wrongful birth suit on their behalf and a wrongful life suit on the behalf of their child. The Court allowed them to recover on their behalf, but not on their child's behalf. It held that it is impossible to consider life, even if restricted by handicaps, to constitute damage.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000569:Americas; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities; D009358:Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D004194:Disease; D005193:Family Planning Services; D007603:Jurisprudence; D009656:North America; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive; D014659:Vasectomy
keywords: Age Factors; Americas; Canada; Child--legal aspects; Congenital Abnormalities--legal aspects; Court Decision; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Diseases; Family Planning; Male Sterilization; Medical Liability--legal aspects; Neonatal Diseases And Abnormalities; North America; Northern America; Population; Population Characteristics; Sterilization, Sexual; Vasectomy--legal aspects; Youth