Vistica v. Presbyterian Hospital & Medical Center of San Francisco, Inc.

Plaintiffs appeal from a judgment in favor of defendant, after trial before a jury, in a wrongful death action.

Facts: Plaintiffs are the deceased’s husband, individually, and her minor children by their guardians ad litem, their father and grandmother.

The decedent, Lorraine Vistica, was a mentally ill person. The testimony of witnesses describes her as one who possessed a schizophrenic personality and was paranoid and strongly motivated toward suicide.

On August 5, 1961, while at home, Lorraine stabbed herself in the chest. She was admitted to the psychiatric ward of defendant hospital and…