[U] Cowdery v. City of Seattle

Daniel Cowdery, in his duties as a Seattle police officer, rendered aid to victims of a horrific bus accident. Cowdery later sued the City in negligence, claiming that he suffered emotional distress due to the Citys failure to equip and train its officers properly and its failure to treat him supportively after the accident. A jury brought in a defense verdict. We conclude the special verdict form allowed Cowdery to argue his theory of the case, even though it divided the question of the Citys negligence into four discrete areas. And Cowdery has not shown that the Citys failure to provide a critical incident stress debriefing breached a recognized legal duty. The judgment is affirmed.