Valenzuela Law Firm, PA | Trial Attorney
Attorney Henry E. Valenzuela

Can you sue a rehab for malpractice?

On Behalf of | Dec 26, 2019 | Medical Malpractice

Drug addiction and alcoholism are complex problems that most people cannot fight on their own. Many turn to rehab facilities for assistance. Unfortunately, some of those facilities are less successful than they should be — and others are downright harmful. Far too often, addicts and their families spend thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for substandard care that may leave the victim worse off than he or she was before.

What does negligent rehab care look like?

Rehab facilities are supposed to provide addicts with a safe place to detox, sufficient medical care to overcome their physical addictions and emotional counseling that can help them avoid relapse.

They can be held liable for things like:

  • Failing to perform a medical exam on a patient during intake to assess his or her condition
  • Allowing a patient to withdraw too quickly from certain drugs, which can cause heart attacks, seizures or strokes
  • Failing to recognize that a patient is suicidal, seems inclined to self-harm or is suffering from dangerous hallucinations during withdrawal
  • Not transporting a patient to a hospital for evaluation when he or she shows signs of physical distress
  • Not making certain that the facility is fully staffed at all times
  • Not observing safety protocols and allowing patients to wander away or fall
  • Not taking reasonable steps to prevent drugs and alcohol from being brought into the facility and given or sold to patients
  • Failing to perform adequate background checks on their employees to screen for a history of abuse or assault

If you trusted your loved one’s health and safety to a rehab clinic that turned out to only be interested in the money you were spending, it may be time to find out how you can take legal action. Like any other medical facility or nursing home, rehabs can be held accountable.

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