Quiz Instructions
Case: Tarasoff v. Regents of The University of California, 17 Cal.3d 425, 551 P.2d 334, 131 Cal. Rptr., 14 Supreme Court of California, 1976
Facts: Prosenjit Poddar killed Tatiana Tarasoff. Tatiana's parents claimed that two months earlier Poddar had confided his intention to kill Tatiana to Dr. Lawrence Moore, a psychologist employed by the University of California at Berkeley. They sued the university, claiming that Dr. Moore should have warned Tatiana and/or should have arranged for Poddar's confinement.
Issue: Did Dr. Moore have a duty to Tatiana Tarasoff? If so, did he breach that duty?
Holding: The defendants are potentially liable. Once a therapist does determine, or under applicable professional standards reasonably should have determined, that a patient poses a serious danger of violence to others, he bears a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect the foreseeable victim of that danger.
Question 2
What is the exception that this decision creates?
Question 3
Therapists hear patients' anger all day long. How can a therapist know for sure whether a patient is serious in making a threat?
Question 4
Poddar was Dr. Moore’s patient. Did the doctor-patient privilege protect his conversations with Dr. Moore?