March 22, 2019– A jury in the Orange County Superior Court holds drug rehab responsible for failing to prevent the suicide of a young man who was entrusted to its care.  

We represented a mother whose 32 year-old son was addicted to methadone.  The son went to a drug rehab facility for detoxification to get clean and sober. 

The jury considered the following facts:  

• After 7 days in detox the facility transferred him to residential treatment, even though he continued to suffer severe withdrawals and extreme anxiety. 
• The day he was transferred to residential treatment he handed a therapist a note to give to his family saying:  he made it through detox, was proud, and had a long ways to go, but if he left the clinic he wanted the police told he was suicidal.
• The facility had the therapist evaluate him, and she testified that he denied any suicidal thoughts.  
• The therapist spoke with her supervisor who said to put him on 30 minute rounds. No rounds were ever recorded, although several staff members did have interactions with him. 
• One and a half hours after the evaluation the young man climbed on to the roof of the facility and committed suicide.  
• The facility knew clients in the past had gained access to the roof. 

We argued that the facility had notice he was at risk of suicide and should have called 911 or transferred him to a hospital. The facility claimed they did everything correctly, and that he was the sole cause of his death. 

After a three week jury trial, an Orange County jury delivered justice to the man’s mother with a $3.9 million dollar verdict apportioned as follows:

Past Loss of Love, Companionship, Comfort, Care, Protection, Assistance, Affection, Society, Moral Support and Training & Guidance:
$1,700,000.00

Future  Loss of Love, Companionship, Comfort, Care, Protection, Assistance, Affection, Society, Moral Support and Training & Guidance:
$2,200,000.00

The jury attributed 65% fault to the facility and 35% fault to the decedent.