Suicide and Self-Harm Negligence Lawyer

If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone right now, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency. If your family lost a loved one to suicide, or a loved one was seriously hurt in a suicide attempt, while in the care of a hospital or facility, a suicide negligence lawyer at Mixan Mahony, LLC can talk with you confidentially and at your own pace. We review cases involving hospitals and medical providers, behavioral health facilities, Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs), nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health agencies, and we serve Illinois families from our Chicago office.

More Ways We Help Injured People and Families

• Choking Injury Lawyer
• Elopement and Wandering Injury Lawyer
• Falls and Fractures Injury Lawyer
• Chicago CILA Abuse and Neglect Lawyer

When a Care Provider May Be Responsible

Suicide is a profound loss, and nothing on this page is meant to suggest that a family could have prevented it. In some situations, though, a hospital, behavioral health facility, or other care provider had a duty to assess and reduce a known risk and did not do so. A civil claim can examine whether the provider followed accepted standards of care. Questions often include:

• Whether a suicide risk assessment was done at admission and repeated when the person’s condition changed.
• Whether the person was placed on the observation level the risk called for, and whether staff actually performed the required checks.
• Whether rooms and bathrooms were reasonably free of ligature points and other hazards.
• Whether medications, belts, cords, and other dangerous items were removed as policy required.
• Whether a person was discharged without a safe discharge plan or follow-up care.
• Whether staffing levels allowed the required observation to happen.

Settings Our Suicide Negligence Lawyer Reviews

Hospitals, emergency departments, and inpatient psychiatric or behavioral health units are the settings most often involved. Claims can also arise in CILAs, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health care when a provider knew of a risk and failed to follow the plan meant to address it. Each setting has its own rules and records.

Records and Evidence in These Cases

We request risk assessments, physician and nursing notes, observation and rounding logs, video where it exists, incident reports, staffing records, discharge plans, and any internal reviews. Observation logs are often central, because they can show whether checks were actually done. Claims against medical providers may require a written report from a qualified health professional.

Support for Families

Families going through this loss deserve support beyond any legal claim. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline also offers support to people who have lost someone to suicide. We move at a pace that works for you, and you decide whether and when to take any step.

Wrongful Death Claims After a Preventable Suicide

When a person dies by suicide while under the care of a hospital, behavioral health unit, or residential facility in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, the family may have a wrongful death claim if known risks were not addressed. Mixan Mahony, LLC reviews risk assessments, observation records, and safety precautions with care and discretion.

Preventable suicides in care settings can involve:

• Missed or incomplete suicide risk screenings
• Observation checks that were skipped or documented but not done
• Ligature points or dangerous items left in a patient’s room
• Early discharge without a safety plan
• Failure to act on warnings from the patient or family

A wrongful death claim under 740 ILCS 180/2 is brought by the personal representative for the surviving spouse and next of kin and generally must be filed within 2 years after the death, with exceptions in the statute. A survival claim under 755 ILCS 5/27-6 may address harm suffered before death.

Other deadlines can apply:

• Claims against physicians, registered nurses, or hospitals arising out of patient care may fall under 735 ILCS 5/13-212.
• Claims against a county or other local public entity may be subject to the one-year filing rule in 745 ILCS 10/8-101, with a separate rule for patient care claims.

Learn more about Illinois wrongful death claims and behavioral health facility abuse and neglect.

Mixan Mahony, LLC, 444 W. Lake St., Suite 1707, Chicago, IL 60606. (312) 262-3971. Find our Chicago office on Google Maps.

Illinois Deadlines and Fault Rules in Care Facility Cases

• Most injury claims: 2 years under 735 ILCS 5/13-202.
• Medical providers: 2 years from discovery with a 4-year outer limit under 735 ILCS 5/13-212(a), and different rules for minors.
• Nursing homes: under the Nursing Home Care Act, 210 ILCS 45/3-601, the owner and licensee are liable for intentional or negligent acts or omissions of their agents or employees that injure a resident, and under 210 ILCS 45/3-602 the licensee pays actual damages, costs, and attorney’s fees when a resident’s rights under the Act are violated.
• Shared fault: under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, an injured person is barred only if their fault is more than 50 percent of the cause; otherwise damages are reduced by their share.
• More than one defendant: under 735 ILCS 5/2-1117, all defendants found liable are jointly and severally liable for medical expenses, and for other damages a defendant less than 25 percent at fault is severally liable while one 25 percent or more at fault is jointly and severally liable.
• Wrongful death: under 740 ILCS 180/2, an action is generally filed within 2 years after the death, with exceptions in the statute.
• Public entities: claims against a local public entity generally must be filed within 1 year under 745 ILCS 10/8-101(a), and personal injury claims against the State generally require a notice within 1 year under 705 ILCS 505/22-1 unless the claim is filed within that year.

These are general rules with exceptions. Ask a lawyer to confirm the deadline that applies to your situation.

In CILA cases, the IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities publishes OIG abuse, neglect, and exploitation information by CILA provider, showing allegations reported to and accepted for investigation by the IDHS Office of the Inspector General and the results of those investigations.

For immediate support, call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Compensation Families and Injured People May Seek

Depending on the facts, a claim may seek compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, increased care costs, pain and suffering, disability, and loss of a normal life. When a person dies, Illinois law allows certain family members to bring a wrongful death claim, and the estate may bring a survival claim for losses the person suffered before death.

Every case is different, and no lawyer can promise a result. Our role is to gather the evidence, explain your options honestly, and pursue the claim you choose.

What to Do Next

• Make sure your loved one is safe and receiving medical care.
• Ask the facility for the incident report and the care plan in writing.
• Photograph injuries and the room or area where the event happened.
• Write down the names of staff and the dates and times of conversations.
• Ask the facility in writing to preserve video and electronic records, and call us for a free review.

Related Practice Areas

You may also find these pages helpful:

• nursing home negligence, assisted living abuse and neglect, memory care abuse and neglect, CILA abuse and neglect, home health care negligence, behavioral health facility abuse, hospice neglect, independent living injuries, SMHRF abuse and neglect, medical negligence
• wrongful death claims
• slip and fall injuries

We also serve clients in communities such as Orland Park, Tinley Park, Berwyn, Waukegan and Lake County.

We serve clients throughout Illinois from our Chicago office. See our Illinois service areas, our Chicago personal injury practice, and our Illinois personal injury representation.

What to Expect When You Call Our Firm

When you contact a suicide negligence lawyer at Mixan Mahony, LLC, the first conversation is about listening. We ask what happened, who was involved, what injuries resulted, and what records you already have. You do not need to have everything organized before you call.

After that first call, a suicide negligence lawyer on our team will explain which deadlines may apply, which records we plan to request, and what an investigation is likely to involve. If we are not the right fit for your situation, we will tell you that as well.

Throughout the case, you can expect plain-English updates. Working with a suicide negligence lawyer does not mean giving up control of your decisions. You decide whether to accept a settlement offer or move forward with a lawsuit.

Many people wait to call a suicide negligence lawyer because they worry about cost or are unsure whether they have a claim. The consultation is free, and an early review can help protect evidence that might otherwise be lost or overwritten.

Talk With a Suicide Negligence Lawyer at Mixan Mahony, LLC

Whether you live in Chicago, the suburbs, or downstate, you can speak with our team by phone or video. A suicide negligence lawyer at our firm will listen, explain the law that applies, and outline the next steps without pressure.

• A free first conversation by phone or video.
• Records requests sent directly to providers, agencies, and insurers.
• Electronic signatures for paperwork.
• Updates by phone, email, or text.

Meet the Partners

Mixan Mahony, LLC was founded by Colleen Mixan Mikaitis and Mackenzie J. Mahony. Both partners are personally involved in the cases the firm handles for clients across Illinois, and you can reach them through our Chicago office by phone or video.

No attorney fee unless we recover for you. Your first consultation is free. How case costs and expenses are handled is explained in writing in the fee agreement before any work begins.

Contact Mixan Mahony, LLC

Mixan Mahony, LLC
444 W. Lake St., Suite 1707
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 262-3971
View our Chicago office on Google Maps

We serve clients in communities outside Chicago from our Chicago office. We do not have offices outside Chicago. Phone and video meetings are available. You can also reach us through our contact page.

This page provides general information about Illinois law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and past outcomes do not guarantee future results.