Contracts: Hawkins v.

McGee (New Hampshire, 1929) 

The infamous “Hairy Hand” case, made even more noteworthy by the famous scene in “The
Paper Chase.”  

 Facts: A boy burns his hand on electrical wire, a surgeon guarantees a “one hundred
percent good hand,” the skin sprouts hair, and the rest is history!
 Issue: It’s clear there was a breach… but what is the appropriate measure of damages to
which the boy is entitled?
 Significance: The court awarded the boy the difference between the value of the
perfectly good hand he expected, and the hairy hand he got.  This solution, known as
expectancy, is the very heart of contract law.