Van Soest v Residual Health Management Unit

Van Soest v Residual Health Management Unit [2001] 1 NZLR 179 is a cited case in New Zealand regarding nervous shock cases .

Van Soest v Residual Health Management Unit
Court	Court of Appeal of New Zealand
Full case name	J&P Van Soest v Residual Health Management Unit and K Ramstead
Decided	27 September 1999
Citation	[2001] 1 NZLR 179
Transcript	Court of Appeal judgment
Court membership
Judges sitting	Gault J, Thomas J, Henry J, Keith J, Blanchard J
Keywords
negligence

Background

This case involves relatives of patients that died during surgery under surgeon Keith Ramstead at Christchurch Hospital.

The relatives sued the Residual Health Management in tort for the nervous shock that they suffered as a result of having a relative die.

Held

The Court of Appeal rejected the relatives claim, as they were only claiming they suffered grief, holding that they law required a higher standard for a nervous shock case to be successful.