It is still the general rule that a person or entity is not legally responsible for the suicide of another. However, courts have created the following two exceptions to the general rule:

A person or entity that has actually caused a person to commit suicide may be liable for the deceased person's death.

• In order to fall within this exception, the person or entity must have inflicted severe physical or mental injury upon the deceased person, causing the deceased person to commit suicide.
  
• Courts tend to apply this exception only in extreme and unusual cases.

A person or entity that had a duty to prevent a person from committing suicide may be liable for that person's death by suicide.

• Generally, there is no duty to prevent suicide. However, a duty to prevent suicide may arise when there is a special relationship between the parties.
  
• Courts have held that jails, mental hospitals and reform schools have a duty to prevent their inmates or residents from committing suicide. This duty arises because the entity has actual physical custody and control over its inmates or residents.

Copyright 2010 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.