In most drug rehab facilities in California, the environment is tightly controlled. It’s obvious why: people in treatment for drug addiction have to be monitored almost constantly—not just to make sure they’re not using, but to keep them safe. But when they’re left unattended, injuries happen. That raises questions about negligence and options moving forward. To talk through things, reach out to Maison Law today for a free consultation.
Can Rehab Facilities Be Liable For Negligence If They Leave Me Unattended?
One of the biggest legal responsibilities any drug rehab facility has is to make sure its patients are taken care of—ultimately to be kept safe. The way they do this is by having:
- Ratios of staff to patients.
- Strict control of what comes in and out of the facility—from medication to contraband.
- Working security cameras and personnel.
- Policies and procedures for reporting issues.
- The ability to quickly fix maintenance issues.
Basically, all of these things have to be in place and work together to keep the environment safe for you and other patients in the facility. And even one break in the chain throws everything else off. That leads to situations where you’re left unattended, which can then lead to accidents and injuries.
What Are My Options When I’m Hurt After Being Left Unattended in a Rehab Facility?
In legal terms, this amounts to negligence. Rehab facilities have a legal responsibility to keep all of these things working together. In reality though, it’s hard to do that with so many moving parts and differing levels of care among patients. But one way or the other, the rehab facility and others are responsible when you’re hurt because they didn’t do what they were supposed to. That gives you certain options for making things right:
- Filing an insurance claim. The opening step in the claims process is often filing an insurance claim with the facility’s liability insurance carrier. That means you can get financial support based on your losses and how the policy covers what happened. Remember, though, an insurance company’s number one goal is to pay out as little as possible.
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit. If insurance offers stall out or don’t cover everything you need, you can go forward with a personal injury lawsuit. That means taking the case before a judge and jury, and letting them decide the facts about what happened and issue a verdict.
The goal of either option is to get “damages” for your losses and injuries. That can include things like:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost income or loss of earning potential
- Repair/replacement costs for damaged property like clothing, shoes, electronics, etc.
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death expenses if your injuries are fatal
You only have two years from the date of your injury to file a claim, so you don’t have an unlimited amount of time to decide what you want to do. More importantly, acting sooner makes it harder to cover up what went wrong, whether that’s scrubbing security footage or papering over files and reports.
Get Help When You’re Hurt by Negligence in a California Rehab Facility
When you’re in a rehab facility in California, you expect a certain level of safety and monitoring. But there’s always gaps that can leave you and others unattended. And with gaps comes injury risks. Our team of California drug rehab negligence lawyers at Maison Law can help you through the claims process by:
- Taking a hard look at what led to your being left alone and who was responsible
- Getting medical records, internal reports, and other evidence before they’re altered or lost
- Handling all the talks with the facility and its insurance company
- Explaining your options in plain terms so you can make an informed decision
- Giving you the space to focus on healing instead of chasing paperwork
You never want to be in this situation, but when you are, you’re going to need help. We can give you that and can make things easier. Set up a free consultation today.
