A dermatologist treating a young teenager’s acne used a newl…
A dermatologist treating a young teenager’s acne used a newly developed laser treatment that was more effective than the standard laser treatment. However, it carried a 1% risk of causing serious scarring when administered to teenagers, which the dermatologist did not mention to the teen’s mother or note in the consent forms, which stated only that a laser treatment would be used. The teen’s treatment was completed without any problem, but the mother looked up the particular treatment on the Internet and learned about the risk. She complained to the dermatologist that she would not have consented to use of this particular treatment had she known of the risk, but the dermatologist argued that using the new treatment was justified in the teen’s case because it greatly reduced the likelihood of the teen needing a return visit. Does the mother have a cause of action on behalf of the teen against the dermatologist?