Which legal case established that a competent adult has the right to decide what is done to their body in 1914?

• A. Schloendorf v. Society of New York Hospital (1914)
• B. Plessy v. Ferguson
• C. Miranda v. Arizona
• D. Brown v. Board of Education

Answer: (A)

The main concept is patient autonomy and the necessity of consent before medical treatment. Schloendorf v. Society of New York Hospital (1914) established that a competent adult has the right to decide what is done to their body, and performing a procedure without consent can be considered battery. The ruling emphasizes that physicians should obtain voluntary consent after informing the patient about the proposed procedure, its risks, and alternatives, and that the patient may refuse. Emergencies or situations where the patient lacks capacity are the main exceptions where treatment without consent might occur. The other listed cases address unrelated issues—racial segregation, rights during interrogation, and school desegregation—so they don’t pertain to medical consent.