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Throughout the United States’ history, courts have struggled with and had to adjudicate cases revolving around suicide. The decision to end one’s own life is a difficult one, and often is the result of complex mental health conditions. These mental health conditions can sometimes be caused, or exacerbated, by the actions of other individuals. Under Iowa law, suicide is treated as an intentional act, despite the fact that modern doctors and psychologists have come to the opposite conclusion. Because Iowa courts treat suicide as an intentional act, those who negligently cause the suicide of another are completely absolved of liability. The purpose of this Note is to explain the current science examining depression and suicide, the statistics that make these issues particularly relevant to the state of Iowa, and then to propose an alternative to denying the families of suicide victims recovery by using common law principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]