Being thorough is a cornerstone of a successful plaintiff's practice. Recently, Matt Birch and John Parisi took on a tough case that, based on the facts as initially presented, would have scared many attorneys away. Our client's father committed suicide while an inpatient at a mental health facility. He was unemployed and had a history of suicide attempts. He had frequently expressed suicidal intentions.
After meeting with the man's very impressive and resilient lone surviving heir – his teenage daughter who lived with her mother – our firm felt motivated to investigate the matter.
In addition to collecting the records associated with the man's inpatient treatment, a request was forwarded to a state agency seeking any information available regarding the man's death. These types of requests rarely lead to useful information, but every once in a while there is a smoking gun.
In response to an anonymous complaint about the subject incident, a state investigation had been undertaken. A detailed report, along with a lengthy appendix, provided a minute-by-minute accounting of the actual events surrounding the man's suicide. Information uncovered by the investigating agency included a security video of the suicide, which established that certain records were inaccurate.
To the mental health facility's credit, the individuals involved in the wrong doing were terminated immediately following the investigation. Then, soon after suit was filed, an early resolution was reached. The settlement included payment of $775,000.00 to the firm's teenage client.
This case demonstrates the importance of seeking public information on all cases. Many times, such requests yield little helpful information. But they occasionally produce the key to the case.
