Farwell v. Keaton

Siegrist (defendant) and Farwell were companions who, after some friction with a group of girls' friends, were chased down and Farwell was severely beaten. Siegrist found him, applied an ice pack, and drove him around for two hours while Farwell fell asleep in the back seat; around midnight, Siegrist parked at Farwell's grandparents' house, tried unsuccessfully to wake him, and left him unconscious in the car without telling anyone he was badly hurt. Farwell was found the next morning and died of his injuries three days later. Farwell's father (plaintiff) sued for wrongful death, arguing Siegrist knew Farwell was seriously injured and that Farwell would have survived if taken to a hospital or if someone had been alerted; a jury found for the father, but the Court of Appeals reversed, holding Siegrist had no affirmative duty to help and didn't know Farwell needed medical care.