Fehrer v. Midland Casualty Co.

The following opinions were filed December 5, 1922:

Crownhart, J.

The defense of suicide is strongly and ably urged by counsel for. the defendant. The law is well settled, based on human experience, that there is a strong presumption against suicide. The love of life and the immorality of taking one’s own life turn the mind against suicide. So it is that when suicide is alleged in defense the burden is on the defendant to establish such fact. In such a case, where the evidence is wholly circumstantial, as in this case, every other reasonable hypothesis to account for the death must be excluded…