The entire point of entering a treatment program at a California drug rehab facility is to get care for drug use. But drugs like fentanyl can still find their way into the facility, and that brings up questions about what you can do if the facility hasn’t kept you and other patients secure and safe. Maison Law and our team of California drug rehab facility negligence lawyers can answer your questions. Set up a free consultation today.
What Does the Rehab Facility Staff Have to Do to Stop a Fentanyl Overdose?
Just because a drug rehab facility has to be secure doesn’t mean contraband like fentanyl won’t find its way into the building and into the hands of a patient. Once it reaches that point, overdoses happen quickly. From there, the staff’s main priority is to take the right steps to either stop the overdose or keep the damage to a minimum. To do that, they should:
- Know what the signs and symptoms of a fentanyl overdose look like.
- Provide emergency medical care to the patient, like CPR or defibrillation.
- Administer Narcan to the patient.
- Call 911 for further medical help.
- Continue monitoring the patient.
Basically, once fentanyl is found out to be the cause of the overdose, it’s on the individual staff members of the facility to take the right steps to make sure you or any other patient isn’t injured any further. It’s only after things settle that other potential questions come up.
What if the Staff Fails to Stop a Fentanyl Overdose?
Of course, even with the above protocols in place, a fentanyl overdose can still happen to you (and other patients) in the drug rehab facility. If the facility’s staff or administration doesn’t stop one from happening, it’s considered negligence.
And with negligence, it gives you and your family the ability to file an injury claim and recover damages. To do that, you’ll have to:
- File an insurance claim out of court
- File a personal injury lawsuit
Which option you and your family decide to go with depends on a lot of different factors. But generally, it’s about addressing the real losses you’ve been dealt. Your damages, then, might include things like:
- Emergency care, hospital stays, and follow-up treatment
- Ongoing medical needs, including breathing support or neurological care
- Counseling or mental health support after the overdose
- Lost income if your loved one can’t return to work
- Long-term loss of earning potential
- Physical pain, lingering health problems, or setbacks in recovery
- Emotional trauma and stress for the family
- Reduced quality of life
- Funeral and wrongful death expenses if the overdose was fatal
Timing matters. In California, you usually have two years from the date of the injury or death to file a claim. Waiting too long can mean losing the right to bring a case. Acting sooner also helps save key evidence—medical records, incident reports, surveillance footage, and witness statements—that can disappear faster than you might expect.
How Maison Law Can Help After a Fentanyl Overdose in a California Drug Rehab Facility
Having a loved one in a rehab facility is stressful enough. When the facility fails to protect them and a fentanyl overdose happens, it’s totally bewildering. Our California drug rehab facility negligence lawyers at Maison Law have the experience and resources to help you and your family through the claims process by:
- Reviewing what happened and where supervision or safety measures may have failed
- Collecting medical records, incident reports, and other evidence before it disappears
- Talking with the rehab facility and its insurance company
- Understanding your legal options in plain, clear language
You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. If your loved one was harmed by a fentanyl overdose in a rehab facility, reach out for a free consultation to explore your options.
