71.05.120 - Exemptions from liability. - Washington Statutes

Exemptions from liability.

(1) No officer of a public or private agency, nor the superintendent, professional person in charge, his or her professional designee, or attending staff of any such agency, nor any public official performing functions necessary to the administration of this chapter, nor peace officer responsible for detaining a person pursuant to this chapter, nor any *county designated mental health professional, nor the state, a unit of local government, or an evaluation and treatment facility shall be civilly or criminally liable for performing duties pursuant to this chapter with regard to the decision of whether to admit, discharge, release, administer antipsychotic medications, or detain a person for evaluation and treatment: PROVIDED, That such duties were performed in good faith and without gross negligence.

     (2) This section does not relieve a person from giving the required notices under RCW 71.05.330(2) or 71.05.340(1)(b), or the duty to warn or to take reasonable precautions to provide protection from violent behavior where the patient has communicated an actual threat of physical violence against a reasonably identifiable victim or victims. The duty to warn or to take reasonable precautions to provide protection from violent behavior is discharged if reasonable efforts are made to communicate the threat to the victim or victims and to law enforcement personnel.

[2000 c 94 § 4; 1991 c 105 § 2; 1989 c 120 § 3; 1987 c 212 § 301; 1979 ex.s. c 215 § 7; 1974 ex.s. c 145 § 7; 1973 2nd ex.s. c 24 § 5; 1973 1st ex.s. c 142 § 17.]

Notes: *Reviser's note: The term "county designated mental health professional" as defined in RCW 71.05.020 was changed to "designated mental health professional" by 2005 c 504 § 104.

Severability -- 1991 c 105: See note following RCW 71.05.215.