LOS ANGELES (CN) - A medical research company inflicted emotional distress when it purchased human remains from the University of California at Los Angeles, a California appeals court ruled.
NuVasive should have foreseen that persuading UCLA to sell parts of the donated bodies would cause the families emotional harm.
"Such a purchaser who induces the seller to act in a way that results in foreseeable emotional injury to the plaintiffs owes a duty of care," Justice Croskey ruled.
Barbara Cohen and Susan Szymanski led the families' lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court. They filed an appeal after their claims were dismissed. The families had donated the bodies to UCLA for medical research.
NuVasive is a San Diego-based company that performs spinal research.
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