Preventing Abuse in Addiction Treatment Centers
Addiction Treatment Centers should be a safe environment for their patients
Neglect and Abuse are Common in Addiction Rehabs and Halfway Houses. We can help.
When you enter an addiction treatment center, you do so at a very vulnerable time in your life, when you are struggling with a difficult disorder. Addiction treatment centers, as well as sober homes and halfway houses, present themselves as a safe haven for those struggling with this disease of addiction. As such, they have a duty to maintain a safe environment for residents as well as employees.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. In 2015, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported there were 3,362 deaths at addiction treatment centers. Deaths and injuries may also occur in sober homes or halfway houses. In 2017, the owner of several West Palm Beach sober homes was convicted of health care fraud, money laundering, and sex trafficking after a woman told police her sober house prostituted her and several other women.
An injury at an addiction treatment center, sober home, or halfway house can be devastating. In addition to struggling with your addiction, you may also have to deal with repeating hospital and doctor visits. If the injury is serious enough, you may find you’re unable to return to work. As if those aren’t enough challenges to deal with, you may also find yourself in pain while having to avoid opioid pain relievers due to your addiction.
Our team of addiction treatment center abuse and neglect injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. understand your legal rights. We know that recovering from addiction is difficult enough without suffering abuse or neglect at the hands of an institute you believed would help you. Because of this, we will work to get you as much compensation as possible, so you can recover from your injuries, and continue to focus on your sobriety.
Addiction Treatment Center Abuse Case Types
Injuries that occur at addiction treatment centers may vary from medical neglect to slip and fall injuries. Each one requires an individual investigative approach. The Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. have a team of attorneys who will examine all aspects of an addiction treatment center abuse or neglect case, including the physical evidence, law enforcement reports, and eyewitness reports.
Addiction treatment center abuse or neglect can happen in many ways. Patients may be physically abused by staff who hit them or sexually assault them. They may also be neglected, either on purpose or due to lax standards of care. Medical needs may go unattended. Workers may ignore a patient’s cry for help, brushing them off as detoxing or exhibiting drug seeking behavior, when the patient desperately needs medical attention. They may also neglect to feed and dole out medication regularly, or fail to keep floors clean and dry so patients don’t trip and fall. Negligent security may be a problem if one patient assaults another.
Causes of addiction treatment center injuries may include, but are not limited to:
- Physical, mental, or emotional abuse
- Failure to monitor patients’ vital signs
- Failure to treat patients with a serious medical problem
- Failure to transfer patient to a hospital when more intense care is needed
- Failure to ensure patients struggling in withdrawal don’t have access to drugs or alcohol
- Failure to monitor patients during withdrawal for signs of self-harm
- Unsafe property conditions
- Employees assaulting or sexually assaulting patients, or trafficking them for sex
- Assaults from other patients
- Infectious diseases
The Addiction Rehab and Detox Center Abuse and Neglect can have a devastating impact on you and your family’s life. This is happening while insurance companies are seeking to minimize the compensation they pay out. Our team of rehab abuse lawyers at the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. understand your legal rights and are not only committed to getting you the maximum amount of compensation possible, but helping you recover, so your life can move forward as soon as possible.
Common Addiction Rehab Abuse Injuries
Injury types resulting from addiction treatment center abuse or neglect may include, but are not limited to:
- Overdose
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Broken Neck
- Paralysis
- Chest/Rib Injuries
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Muscle Sprains/Strains
- Scrapes/Cuts/Bruises
- Broken Bones & Fractures
- Jaw Injuries/Loss of Teeth
- PTSD from trauma or abuse
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Wrongful Death
The addiction treatment center neglect and abuse injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. will take the time to listen to your story. We will then investigate your case and work to find the most advantageous legal strategy so we can get you the most compensation possible for your injuries.
Rehab Center and Detox Abuse Liability & Damage Recovery
People expect any addiction treatment center, sober home, or halfway house to provide a reasonably safe environment, so that patients/residents and employees are protected. When this doesn’t happen, people can be hurt due to the addiction treatment center’s negligence.
The company is then liable for any kind of injury that follows from this negligence. If you or a loved one have been hurt in an addiction treatment center, the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. may be able to help you receive compensation for your injuries. Addiction treatment center neglect and abuse personal injury compensation may include:
- Hospital and Other Medical Bills
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
- Costs of Future Care
If you’re waiting for the insurance company to make you an offer, don’t. Insurance agents and adjusters have one goal—to save their company or clients money. They aren’t concerned about your injuries, just their bank balance. If you’re thinking about accepting a settlement offer from an insurance company, wait until you have a chance to speak with a qualified West Palm Beach addiction treatment center abuse and neglect attorney. Contact us today by clicking here, or calling (561) 222-2222.
