Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Washington Revised Code Title 4. Civil Procedure § 4.24.311. Immunity from liability for certain care or assistance at scene of emergency or disaster

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(1) Any person who, without compensation or the expectation of compensation, renders nonmedical care or assistance at the scene of an emergency or disaster shall not be liable for civil damages resulting from any act or omission in the rendering of such care or assistance other than acts or omissions constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. Any person rendering such care or assistance during the course of regular employment and receiving compensation or expecting to receive compensation for rendering such care or assistance is excluded from the protection of this section.

(2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) “Compensation” has its ordinary meaning but does not include: Nominal payments, reimbursement for expenses, or pension benefits; payments made to volunteer part-time and volunteer on-call personnel of fire departments, fire districts, ambulance districts, police departments, or any emergency response organization; or any payment to a person employed as a transit operator who is paid for his or her regular work, which work does not routinely include providing emergency transportation.

(b) “Emergency or disaster” means an event or set of circumstances that:

(i) Demands immediate action to preserve public health, protect life, protect public property, or to provide relief to any stricken community overtaken by such occurrence; or

(ii) Reaches such a dimension or degree of destructiveness as to warrant the governor declaring a state of emergency pursuant to RCW 43.06.010.

(c) “Nonmedical care or assistance” includes response and rescue operations as well as the provision of such necessities and amenities as food, supplies, shelter, transportation, and child care.

(3)(a) This section does not apply to emergency workers registered in accordance with chapter 38.52 RCW or to the related volunteer organizations to which they may belong.

(b) The immunity granted by this section is in addition to any common law or statutory immunity enjoyed by such person, and nothing in this section abrogates or modifies in any way such common law or statutory immunity.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Washington Revised Code Title 4. Civil Procedure § 4.24.311. Immunity from liability for certain care or assistance at scene of emergency or disaster - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/wa/title-4-civil-procedure/wa-rev-code-4-24-311/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard