State Ex Rel. Shockey v. Washington Sanitarium & Hospital

This appeal is from a judgment in favor of the defendant for costs after the trial court directed a verdict in favor of the defendant at the close of the defendant’s case. The action was brought against the defendant, Washington Sanitarium and Plospital, upon the theory that it was guilty of negligence in failing to prevent the suicide of a patient.

The decedent, a resident of Pennsylvania, had been admitted to the Sanitarium on May 8, 1957, as a private patient of Dr. Andren, a psychiatrist consulted by the decedent and his wife. Mr. Shockey had bcome severely depressed. In a letter from the…