The appellant psychiatrist appealed a jury finding of medical malpractice after she changed a patient's status from involuntary to voluntary under the Mental Health Act.
Seven weeks after his release, the patient murdered his sister.
The respondents, the victim's family, successfully sued the psychiatrist for negligence.
On appeal, the appellant argued the trial judge erred in instructing the jury on the honest and intelligent exercise of medical judgment, the reputable body of medical opinion doctrine, and causation.
The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding no reversible error in the jury instructions and concluding it was open to the jury to find that the murder would not have occurred but for the patient's release.
