Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

Tag Archives: Delaura Norg

Washington Supreme Court Concludes Public Duty Doctrine Limited to Statutory Duties

The Supreme Court of Washington has ruled that the public duty doctrine, one of the fire service’s most important defenses to negligence claims, only applies to statutorily created duties, not common law duties. The ruling came in a suit case brought against the Seattle Fire Department alleging firefighters responded to the wrong address.

Washington Court Holds Public Duty Rule Does Not Protect Seattle Medics Who Went to Wrong Address

The Court of Appeals of Washington has ruled that the public duty doctrine offers no liability protection to Seattle firefighters who responded to the wrong address for a cardiac arrest. The case involved a suit brought by Delaura and Fred Norg after Fred suffered a heart attack in 2017.

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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