Suicide attempt lawsuit dismissed
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
June 6, 2007
An Australian man who sued his hospital after attempting suicide saw his case dismissed by the New South Wales Supreme Court.
Timothy Walker sued the hospital in the wake of an incident in which he climbed a tree to hang himself. After a last second change of heart, Walker tried to climb down the tree but fell 30 meters to the ground. He is now a quadriplegic.
His suit claimed the hospital should have prescribed antidepressants and otherwise treated him for depression. The hospital had refused to give Walker medication because he would not give up drinking. The court sided with the hospital, saying the practice was widely accepted in the Australian medical community.
