A pregnancy check-up turned into a case of medical litigation when a simple blood test went wrong. The error was small—a single misplaced “positive” sign—but it was enough to create panic, prompt a transfusion scare, and end in a courtroom.
During her antenatal care, a woman underwent routine investigations including a blood group test. The report issued by a diagnostic centre mentioned her blood group as B positive. Months later, during delivery at another hospital, she required a transfusion. Relying on the earlier report, doctors administered B-positive blood—only to stop it immediately when the patient reacted adversely. A fresh test revealed her actual group to be B negative.
The woman and her family alleged that the wrong report caused severe health complications for both mother and child and accused the first lab of gross negligence. The laboratory defended itself by claiming technical error—arguing that weak antigen reactions or hereditary factors could lead to false positive readings. It also stressed that any responsible hospital must cross-match the patient’s blood before transfusion, which, if skipped, was not the lab’s fault.
The District Forum, however, saw it differently. It held that issuing an incorrect blood report, regardless of intent, was a clear breach of duty of care. Even if no permanent injury occurred, the anxiety and suffering caused during a critical phase like pregnancy warranted compensation. The lab was ordered to pay ₹4 lakh.
On appeal, the State Commission upheld the finding of negligence but found the quantum excessive. The judges reasoned that while the lab’s error was undeniable, no transfusion-related harm or lasting damage had been proved. A wrong blood group report, they noted, is negligence per se, but compensation must stay proportionate to the consequence. The award was reduced to ₹2 lakh.
IML Insight
This case illustrates a key principle in medical law: a diagnostic error can amount to negligence even without resulting injury. But when courts assess compensation, they weigh the impact, not just the mistake. For diagnostic centres, accuracy isn’t optional — it’s their entire duty of care.
Source : Order pronounced by Chhattisgarh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on 8th August, 2025.