San Diego Law Review
Document Type
Comments
Abstract
When a social worker receives a complaint of child abuse and determines that the situation is non-urgent, should the county welfare department be held liable for subsequent injury to the child? This Comment analyzes the four contexts in which a special relationship with a county welfare department may arise and concludes that a duty of care should not be imposed upon county welfare departments in these situations. The author concludes that if the social worker reasonably determines that the situation was non-urgent, the county welfare department should not be held liable. Alternatively, even if a duty of care is imposed, a county welfare department, as a governmental agency, should be immune from liability.
Recommended Citation
Kim Boyer,
County Welfare Department Liability for Handling Reports of Child Abuse,
30
San Diego L. Rev.
187
(1993).
Available at:
https://digital.sandiego.edu/sdlr/vol30/iss1/6