Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claims Rehab Clinic “Let Patient Relapse Until He Overdosed”

A California man agreed to enroll in a 24-hour, residential sober living program after his mother offered to help him out following a stay in jail, on the condition that he receive substance abuse treatment. The young man was admitted to a rehab facility in San Francisco in December of 2023. According to the wrongful death lawsuit, his intake form identified him as a “highly vulnerable” patient who was struggling with addiction.

The 30-year-old decedent experienced homelessness with his girlfriend and two dogs when he sought treatment, the lawsuit states. One day after arriving at the facility, the decedent relapsed on fentanyl, the strongest opioid available on the market. According to the lawsuit, the decedent found the opioid “lying around” in the facility’s bathroom stall. The decedent was hospitalized and then returned to the facility, where he relapsed two more times, the complaint says. His third relapse would be his last. Within three weeks of beginning what should have been a drug detoxification program, the decedent died of a fentanyl overdose on January 14, 2024. It’s believed that he was last seen alive around 6 p.m. that evening. The staff didn’t realize that he had died until more than 12 hours later. Employees found his body the next morning.

Now, the family wants answers. Particularly, they’re interested in knowing how fentanyl was found “lying around” a drug rehab facility. They want to know why their loved one had access to fentanyl at all while he was trying to detox. In addition, they want to know why his body took 12 hours to find, if staff were paying attention to patients. The decedent’s parents blame the facility’s operator, HealthRight 360, which runs several detox and addiction treatment programs in San Francisco.

A “history of neglect” 

The decedent’s parents are suing the state health care provider over what they call a “history of neglect” that led to their son’s death. They accuse the company’s staff of failing to enforce its own policies prohibiting access to drugs and alcohol. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that four HealthRight 360 patients and one employee died of drug overdoses between March 2023 and April 2024. The deaths are believed to have stemmed from poor conditions and a lack of supervision.

Addiction treatment medical malpractice lawsuit 

Rarely are medical malpractice lawsuits filed against addiction treatment centers or psychiatric services in general. It takes a complete systemic collapse to account for a fentanyl overdose occurring in a drug rehab facility. The parents are right to blame the facility for failing this young man after he trusted them with his life.

Talk to an Oakland, CA, Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today 

Venardi Zurada represents the interests of patients in medical malpractice lawsuits filed against hospitals, doctors, and health care facilities. We serve the Bay Area from our office locations in Oakland and Walnut Creek. Call our Oakland personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case immediately.

Source:

sacbee.com/news/california/article303311591.html