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39 Me. 155

Simonds v. Henry

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Decided July 1, 1855

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine · decided 1855-07-01

Exceptions from Nisi Prius, Shepley, C. J., presiding. Assumpsit, for a fall set of artificial teeth for defendant’s wife. The contract was made with the wife, for the manufacture of the teeth for a certain price, with the knowledge and assent of defendant. When put into her mouth she complained that they felt odd and pained her. The plate was then somewhat filed, but she still complained, and declined to pay for them.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1855-07-01

How this case has been cited

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently October 1930

4 state decisions

20185518601870188018901900191019201930decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

AppletoN, J.

¶1— The law impliés an undertaking on the part of apothecaries and surgeons, that they will use a reasonable degree of care and skill in the treatment of their *157patients. Chitty on Contracts, 553. They are held responsible for injuries resulting from a want of ordinary care and skill. The highest degree of skill is not to be expected, nor can it reasonably bo required of all.

¶2The instruction given was, that if the plaintiff has used all the knowledge and skill to which the art had at the time advanced, that would be all that would be required of him,” &c. It is undoubtedly correct, that no more would be required of Mm. But upon legal principles could so much be required of him ? We think not. If it could, then every professional man would be bound to possess the highest attainments, and to exercise the greatest skill in his profession. Such a requirement would be unreasonable.

¶3The instructions given were erroneous and a new trial must be had.

¶4Exceptions sustained.

¶5New trial ordered.

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