Ewing v. Goldstein (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 807
Jul 16, 2004OUTCOME: Settled
Parents of victim killed by therapist's patient sued therapist for wrongful death based on therapist's failure to warn victim after therapist received communication from patient's father that patient t ... hreatened to kill or cause serious physical harm to victim. The Superior Court, Los Angeles County, No. BC267552, Frances Rothschild, J., granted therapist summary judgment. Parents appealed. Holdings: The Court of Appeal, Boland, J., held that: 1 communication from patient's family member to therapist, was a “patient communication” within meaning of statute imposing duty on psychotherapist to warn of threatened violent behavior of patient.
