Carol A. Benn, As Executor of the Estate of Loras J. Benn, Deceased, Appellant, v. Leland R. Thomas, K-G, Ltd., and Heartland Express, Inc., of Iowa, Appellees.

Should a negligent actor be liable for the unforeseeably severe injuries of unusually sensitive victims?

Defendant rear-ended a vehicle in which the plaintiff was a passenger. As a direct result of the collision, plaintiff suffered a bruised chest and fractured ankle. Six days later, he died of a heart attack. One medical expert testified that the car accident had set off the fatal heart attack; other experts disagreed.