# Suicide causing death of bystander

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-causing-death-of-bystander/463124>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 11, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-causing-death-of-bystander/463124 "2008-09-11T17:58:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-causing-death-of-bystander/463124/21 "2008-09-11T20:20:23Z")

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> [@Huerta88](#):
>
> Or this jackass.
> 
> [http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/apr/29/trial-starts-in-train-crash-that-killed-11/](http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/apr/29/trial-starts-in-train-crash-that-killed-11/)

I look at that one first. It’s a good example, although it’s not clear it really was a suicide attempt. He is a jackass either way. Incidentally, the truncation of the URL tells its own story:

> [@](#):
>
> [http://www.venturacountystar.com/\*\*new...hat-killed\*\*-11/](http://www.venturacountystar.com/ **new...hat-killed** -11/)

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**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-causing-death-of-bystander/463124/22 "2008-09-11T20:44:31Z")

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> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> I’m pretty sure it would be ruled an accidental death by the coroner with no charges being laid. Why put anyone’s family through that kind of shit?

What do you mean? What about the shit that the innocent dead guy’s family has to go through because someone decided to off himself in an irresponsible manner?

The family of the _victim_ should definitely be awarded damages from the suicide guy’s estate.

Slightly off topic, but I’ve always wondered this about a similar scenario; one where some guy is a serial killer or rapist and the wife or girlfriend claims to know nothing. I just find it hard to believe.

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-causing-death-of-bystander/463124/23 "2008-09-11T21:13:40Z")

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> [@Quercus](#):
>
> Isn’t this a famous hypothetical scenario for law students? I’d need a very very reliable cite before I believe it actually happened.

I’m pretty sure something very close to this (but just a bit tamer in the outlandishness department) was on my Bar exam. Anyone else take NY in 2005?

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-causing-death-of-bystander/463124/24 "2008-09-11T21:21:28Z")

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> [@SmellMyWort](#):
>
> The family of the _victim_ should definitely be awarded damages from the suicide guy’s estate.

No one has said otherwise. But the way the OP was worded it looked like he was talking about _criminal charges_ against the family. That was cleared up further up the thread.

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