The Queensland Court of Appeal (McMurdo P and Davies JA, Thomas JA dissenting) held that damages for a wrongful pregnancy claim arising from a doctor's negligent failure to advise of the need for further investigation following a sterilisation procedure extend to the ordinary costs of raising the resulting healthy child. The majority rejected the argument that the benefits of having a healthy child should be offset against the costs of raising the child, and rejected public policy arguments that such damages should be excluded. Thomas JA dissented, holding that the cost of child-rearing should not be recoverable on policy grounds. This decision was subsequently considered by the High Court in Cattanach v Melchior [2003] HCA 38.
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