Patient Failed to Prove Actual Allergy Caused Medical Injury

A Missouri physician isn’t liable for injuries allegedly caused by an allergic reaction to an implanted medical device, a federal appeals court said Tuesday.

The patient had no evidence linking her injuries to an actual allergy, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said in an unpublished opinion affirming summary judgment for the doctor and a medical clinic.

The patient self-diagnosed the allergy based on an incident that occurred over ten years earlier when she developed a rash and discoloration after wearing jewelry containing nickel, the court said. Absent a formally diagnosed allergy, however, there was no causal ...