In mental health negligence claims arising from suicide attempts during leave from a mental health facility, a temporal gap of over four hours between exposure to identified stressors and the suicide attempt, combined with evidence that the patient appeared unaffected by the stressors, may be sufficient to negate factual causation. Evidence from a parent about what they would have done in a hypothetical situation may be rejected on the ground of hindsight bias, particularly where the parent felt a sense of responsibility for the outcome. A reformulated breach of duty case that is more proscriptive and onerous than that advanced at trial will not be permitted on appeal absent exceptional circumstances.
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