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Articles Posted in Suicide

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Illinois Appellate Court Affirms $1.49 Million Jury Verdict and Interest After Judgment Was Entered

The signed forms juries bring back with their findings when deliberations are completed are typically referred to as verdicts. Section 2-1303 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure calls for computing post-judgment interest on verdicts “from the time when made or rendered to the time of entering judgment upon the…

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Illinois Appellate Court Reversed Summary Judgment Following the Mental Health Code in Detaining Suicidal Patient

Anita Irvin went into the emergency room complaining of swelling and pain in her leg. During that visit, her primary care physician informed the emergency-room physician that she had recently made suicidal ideations. The emergency-room staff prevented Irvin from leaving the hospital, dressed her in a paper hospital gown, and…

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Illinois Supreme Court Affirms Special Interrogatory Was Inconsistent with General Verdict, Reversing in Plaintiff’s Favor

The Illinois Supreme Court was asked to determine whether this special interrogatory given to the jury in this lawsuit was in proper form and whether the jury’s answer to the special interrogatory was inconsistent with its general verdict in the plaintiff’s favor. The Circuit Court of Winnebago County held that…

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Illinois Appellate Court Reverses Trial Court’s Entry of Judgment Based on Special Interrogatory Favoring the General Verdict

In an unfortunate suicide by Keith Stanphill, a lawsuit was brought by Zachary Stanphill against a social worker, Lori Ortberg, and the hospital with which she was affiliated. She saw Keith Stanphill at Rockford Memorial Hospital just nine days before his suicide. Ortberg is a licensed clinical social worker. During…

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$1 Million in Settlement Reached for Death of Juvenile While in Detention

A 16-year-old girl was incarcerated at a county juvenile detention center.She had a history of chronic depression and other mental health issues, was noted to be irritable and at risk for self-injurious behavior and suicide. During her approximately two-month stay, this young woman was placed on suicide watch many times. Medications…

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Illinois Supreme Court Affirms General Rule That Suicide is an Unforeseeable Event That Breaks the Causal Chain in Both Negligent and Intentional Torts

On May 21, 2015, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed a general rule as a matter of law with respect to suicide. Maria Turcios brought a wrongful death lawsuit based on her husband’s suicide. The lawsuit alleged that it was caused by the defendant’s intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit…

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