Dillon v. Legg
Supreme Court of California
441 P.2d 912 (1968)
Relevant factsFree
Dillon (plaintiff), the mother of a child struck and killed by Legg's (defendant's) car, witnessed the death while standing close enough to observe it but outside the vehicle's actual "zone of danger," while her other daughter Cheryl (plaintiff), who might have been within that zone, had her own emotional-distress claim allowed to proceed; the trial court dismissed only Dillon's emotional-distress claim on the theory she was never herself in danger, and Dillon appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a defendant may be liable for reasonably foreseeable emotional harm caused to a plaintiff as a result of the defendant's negligent actions.