Patients trying to end a dependence on Benzodiazepines (benzos) at a rehab center can face life-threatening danger when coming off the drug too quickly.
Seizures and heart problems can occur when patients are carelessly allowed to stop benzo use too abruptly.
The owners of a California drug rehab facility can be held liable when patients are allowed to stop benzo use without the right care and end up dying.
The Dangers in Benzodiazepine Detox
Benzodiazepines (also known as Benzos) like Valium and Klonopin work to slow someone’s Central Nervous System. They can be used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and epilepsy, among other health issues. The Cleveland Clinic explains that these drugs can cause nervous system activity to drop too low and cause critical health issues.
These drugs can also be habit-forming. Patients trying to end a dependence on benzos can struggle during recovery and face life-threatening symptoms.
This is especially true when patients try to stop benzo use abruptly. Trying to stop use of a powerful, quick-acting benzo such as Xanax (the prescription name for alprazolam) “cold turkey” comes with even more risk. Patients can suffer seizures and be at risk of severe injury and death.
These are just a few of the dangerous withdrawal symptoms involving seizures:
- Seizures and the risk of falling and head trauma
- Status Epilepticus. Dangerous conditions where patients experience non-stop seizures for several minutes while unconscious.
- Seizure-caused breathing issues that block oxygen to the brain or allow carbon dioxide to build up.
- Heart attacks brought on by seizures.
Who Is Responsible for Benzodiazepine Rehab Deaths?
Benzodiazepine detox facilities in California accept patients and promise close monitoring and immediate care during recovery. They are under a legal “duty of care” to patients they accept, especially when patients may be extremely vulnerable and dependent on that care for their very lives.
There should be steps taken to prevent dangerous reactions like seizures during detox, and training and planning for patients who do experience withdrawal issues.
In the case of Benzo treatment, a supervised tapering of the drug is highly recommended. A trained and skilled staff can provide 24/7 monitoring of patients and help them take steps to a safe, supervised recovery.
But treatment centers can get careless and fail patients, even allowing them to die.
These are a few of the precautions that can be ignored by a negligent staff that can lead to a tragic death:
- Monitoring the patient at all times
- In some cases, administering a longer-acting dose of prescription Benzodiazepines to reduce the discomfort and danger when getting off the drug
- Security to keep other drugs out of a rehab environment (fentanyl and alcohol use can increase health risks during detox)
- Calling 911 immediately upon noticing heart issues or seizures
- Administering rescue breathing if patient stops breathing
- Placing a patient in recovery position once seizures have stopped to keep them from choking on vomit
A skilled lawyer will be asking these questions on behalf of the grieving family. Evidence of negligence can be everywhere, but lawyers for major healthcare companies can act to conceal important documents and footage.
An experienced lawyer legally demands these pieces of evidence to see that families earn wrongful death support.
The Wrongful Death Support Families Must Know About
Families who lose a loved one can face funeral costs, medical bills, and wonder how a spouse and children will support themselves in the future.
A wrongful death claim demands that the owners of negligent facilities take responsibility for these and other hardships they’ve created:
- Support to pay all funeral expenses.
- Replacement of the income the deceased may have supported the family with.
- Support for the loss of love, guidance, and security a victim had always provided.
- Support for the loss of companionship parents must cope with after losing a child to an overdose in an adolescent benzodiazepine drug rehab facility.
- Support for the important life events that families won’t be able to enjoy with their loved ones. This can include holiday gatherings, weddings, and the birth of children.
- Reimbursement for the fees families paid to admit a loved one into a facility.
See: Who can file a wrongful death claim?
Contact Us if your Loved One Was Allowed to Die During Detox
Families who can prove a Benzodiazepine detox center’s negligence in a loved one’s overdose death can demand full support. Attorney Martin Gasparian can help with that and make sure families receive the maximum support possible.
Mr. Gasparian offers a free, confidential consultation to all family members. There’s no obligation, but all families should know that there are no upfront costs to hire a lawyer when they need one. We don’t get paid unless we win your case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement a drug treatment center must provide.