An Indian-origin man from Australia sued a hospital for $642 million, claiming that watching his wife’s Caesarean delivery had left him with a ‘psychotic illness’.
The man lost the case.
Anil Koppula tried to sue the Royal Women’s Hospital of Melbourne for letting him watch the surgery in 2018, an experience he claims has led to the “breakdown of his marriage”.
In a statement given years after the procedure, Koppula alleged that the staff at the hospital “encouraged or permitted” him to watch the C-section procedure during the delivery. He claims that the sight of his wife’s blood and organs caused him psychological trauma.
He also alleged that the hospital had breached the duty of care it owed him by letting him watch the procedure.
While the hospital admitted that they did have a duty of care towards Mr. Koppula, they argued he could not seek damages for a non-economic loss without proving a significant injury.
A medical panel constituted to investigate Mr Koppula’s psychiatric impairment claim found that it was not significant.
On the suggestion of the medical panel, a judgement was passed against Mr Koppula’s claim, with a judge calling it legally invalid and an “abuse of process”.
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