CYIL vol. 8 (2017)

TOMÁŠ HOLČAPEK

CYIL 8 ȍ2017Ȏ

DOCTRINE OF LOSS OF CHANCE IN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES: COMPARATIVE, INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL ASPECTS Tomáš Holčapek 1 Abstract: The notion of “loss of chance” in cases of civil liability related to medical treatment is a hot topic in numerous national legal systems. Judicial decisions on it are handed down by the highest courts – in the Czech Republic by the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. However, it crosses the boundaries of national law. First, it may form a topic for comparison between individual countries, which face similar challenges and issues. Secondly, it may be analysed in connection with the application of conflict of laws rules, e.g. with regard to cross-border health care in the EU and beyond. Lastly, its transnational aspects built on the international concept of human rights protection may be discussed. Resumé: Problematika koncepce tzv. ztráty šance v případech občanskoprávní odpovědnos- ti v souvislosti s medicínskými zákroky je aktuální v mnoha národních právních řádech. Je předmětem soudní judikatury jdoucí až k vrcholným instancím – v České republice včetně Nejvyššího soudu a Ústavního soudu. Překračuje ovšem hranice národního práva. Jednak lze srovnávat, jak se s podobnými potížemi i idejemi vypořádávají jednotlivé země, dále ji lze zkoumat v rovině mezinárodního práva soukromého – například v souvislosti s přeshraniční péčí v rámci EU i mimo ni – a konečně lze analyzovat její nadnárodní aspekty, vycházející z mezinárodního pojetí ochrany lidských práv. Key words: loss of chance, civil liability, medical malpractice, medical law, causation, burden of proof, human rights On the author: JUDr. Tomáš Holčapek, Ph.D. , is a member of the Department of Civil Law and of the Centre for Medical Law at the Law Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. He teaches civil procedure and health law. Furthermore, he is a practicing attorney focusing on civil law and litigation. Introduction The notion of “loss of chance” in the context of civil liability for medical treatment (or rather, medical malpractice) forms a relevant part of the current legal discourse in many countries, no matter whether they follow the continental “civil law” tradition or belong to the common-law family. After all, problems which the individual legal systems attempt to resolve are similar, the boundaries between legal “families” are not as sharp as they might seem and some legal cultures are products of a mixed tradition. Discussions about liability for loss of chance are therefore ubiquitous. 2 Nevertheless, they do not always come to the same conclusions. 1 This article was written with support of the Charles University programme Progres Q03 – Soukromé právo a výzvy dneška [ Private Law and Challenges of Today ]. 2 In Czech legal writing, we can refer e.g. to HOLČAPEK, Tomáš, Odpovědnost za ztrátu naděje [ Liability for Loss of Chance ]. Právní rozhledy. (2003, Vol. 11, No. 4), pp. 189-191; HOLČAPEK, Tomáš, Dokazování

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