Divorce

My brother committed suicide and I am wondering if I have a case against his psychiatrist.

My brother committed suicide via a gunshot wound to the head. Prior to his act, he was seeing a psychiatrist and we found out that he had mentioned wanting to purchase a rifle for hunting. This was never brought up between them before, it was completely out of the blue. My brother was mentally ill, diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at a very young age, and studdered severely. Just glancing at him would give someone the immediate impression that he was ill. If you read between the lines, it was evident that he wanted to purchase a rifle was for a hidden agenda. My questions are - Did his psychiatrist have a moral and legal duty to inform us of his admission? If so, can we sue for damages?Please let me know your thoughts. Please help - we are absolutely devastated. Thank you very

Nathan’s Answer

I am sorry for your tragic loss. I cannot imagine how terrible a feeling it must be to have lost a loved one under these circumstances. My prayers are with you and your brother.

A psychiatrist is under strict legal and ethical rules to protect a patient's confidentiality. Without a serious threat of violence to one's self or others, it would be difficult to prove that the lack of reporting by psychiatrist was a substantial factor in one's death.