Judith Richardson Haimes
Encyclopedia
Judith Richardson Haimes is an American
woman from Philadelphia, PA, who worked as a psychic
in Newark, Delaware, until an allergic reaction to the iodine
tracer
injected for a CAT scan allegedly disabled her. She sued Temple University Hospital and was awarded over $600,000 for pain and suffering and loss of income. This award was later overturned on appeal
, 39 Pa. D. & C.3d 381 (Pa.Com.Pl. 1986). Haimes currently lives with her husband Allen Haimes in Florida and writes a syndicated newspaper column on grieving.
Haimes's case was the subject of the book Judith by her husband.
The case is often cited in discussions of frivolous lawsuits and tort reform in the United States
, but the facts are also often misrepresented. Contrary to popular belief, Haimes never claimed that a CAT scan had caused her to lose her psychic powers. In fact, the often alluded-to CAT scan never took place. Haimes only claimed that the headache
s resulting from her allergic reaction prevented her from earning a living as a psychic.
Haimes previously earned a lucrative living by offering sessions in which she ostensibly read individual's auras, offering them medical as well as personal advice. She gained a reputation following an article in Philadelphia magazine that described seances she conducted at a wealthy Chestnut Hill patron's house.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
woman from Philadelphia, PA, who worked as a psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
in Newark, Delaware, until an allergic reaction to the iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
tracer
Radioactive tracer
A radioactive tracer, also called a radioactive label, is a substance containing a radioisotope that is used to measure the speed of chemical processes and to track the movement of a substance through a natural system such as a cell or tissue...
injected for a CAT scan allegedly disabled her. She sued Temple University Hospital and was awarded over $600,000 for pain and suffering and loss of income. This award was later overturned on appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
, 39 Pa. D. & C.3d 381 (Pa.Com.Pl. 1986). Haimes currently lives with her husband Allen Haimes in Florida and writes a syndicated newspaper column on grieving.
Haimes's case was the subject of the book Judith by her husband.
The case is often cited in discussions of frivolous lawsuits and tort reform in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but the facts are also often misrepresented. Contrary to popular belief, Haimes never claimed that a CAT scan had caused her to lose her psychic powers. In fact, the often alluded-to CAT scan never took place. Haimes only claimed that the headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
s resulting from her allergic reaction prevented her from earning a living as a psychic.
Haimes previously earned a lucrative living by offering sessions in which she ostensibly read individual's auras, offering them medical as well as personal advice. She gained a reputation following an article in Philadelphia magazine that described seances she conducted at a wealthy Chestnut Hill patron's house.