Ylla Gosney, Attorneys at Law can help you and your family through the aftermath of injuries that happen while under the care of a Tulsa drug rehabilitation facility. If you or someone you care about is in treatment, you already know how fragile of a time this is. That’s what makes negligence and injuries so damaging. Our team can explain what your options are and how you can move forward. Set up a free consultation today.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
When you enter into treatment at a drug rehab facility in Tulsa, you’re doing so at an extremely vulnerable time. On top of that, your actual treatment and recovery from addiction takes work—every single day.
You obviously put a lot of trust into the facility and its staff, with the hope that they’ll do what they’re supposed to do. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Negligence can lead to injuries in a lot of different ways in this type of environment, which brings up important questions about what you can do and how. You’re not required to get a lawyer in this situation, but having our team can really help you by:
- Looking closely at what happened and figuring out who should be held responsible
- Gathering important records and evidence, including medical files, incident reports, and witness statements
- Reviewing staffing levels, safety protocols, and the facility’s policies to see where things went wrong
- Bringing in medical professionals or other experts when their insight can strengthen your case
- Dealing directly with insurance companies and the facility so you don’t have to
- Accounting for the full impact the injury has had on your recovery, finances, and day-to-day life
- Fighting for a fair settlement and, if necessary, taking your case to court
Facing a situation where you’re injured on top of difficult treatment is a lot for you and your family to try to handle alone. Just being in rehab is isolating enough, but by working with our team, we can make things easier.
How Negligence Happens in Tulsa Drug Rehab Facilities
Negligence is dangerous in any situation, but especially so in a drug rehab facility. That has a lot to do with how vulnerable and fragile patients are. Drug rehab isn’t just passive, it takes almost-constant monitoring and attention to catch things before they happen. But unfortunately, facilities are businesses, and things move fast. That leads to situations where you or other people get hurt when there’s a failure to:
- Keep a close eye on patients, especially during detox, after medication changes, or when they’re showing signs of distress
- Make sure patients receive the right medications in the right doses at the right times
- Have enough qualified staff on hand to provide safe, attentive care
- Pay attention to who is coming in and out of the facility to help keep patients safe
- Fix dangerous conditions and stay on top of maintenance issues before someone gets hurt
- Recognize medical emergencies and respond quickly when a patient needs help
- Follow each patient’s treatment plan and stick to established safety procedures
Every situation is different, but most of these cases come down to the same basic issue: the facility failed to provide the level of care, supervision, and safety patients reasonably expect when they enter treatment. As a result, patients may be left dealing with:
- Broken bones, serious sprains, and other injuries from falls
- Concussions and other head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries that affect memory, concentration, and daily life
- Cuts, bruises, lacerations, and other physical injuries
- Serious medical complications caused by medication errors or adverse drug reactions
- Overdoses that require emergency medical treatment
- Severe dehydration, malnutrition, and related health complications
- Withdrawal-related medical emergencies, including seizures and cardiac issues
- Infections and untreated medical conditions that become more serious over time
- Burns and other painful physical injuries
- Injuries that require hospitalization, surgery, or ongoing medical care
- Worsening mental health symptoms that interfere with recovery
- Anxiety, depression, and emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Relapses and setbacks that disrupt the recovery process
- Permanent disabilities or long-term health complications
- Reduced quality of life and loss of independence
- Fatal injuries in the most tragic cases
Just like negligence takes a lot of different forms in a drug rehab center, so too does the injuries you or your loved one could be left with. And although the setting is a bit unique, the claims process works very similarly to other accidents. It starts with figuring out who’s responsible.
Who’s Responsible For Negligence in a Drug Rehab Facility?
One of the biggest questions people have after an injury is simple: who is responsible? Even in a drug treatment setting, the same legal standards for negligence apply. It comes down to showing that:
- Someone failed to provide patients with the level of care and safety they were expected to provide.
In most cases, the rehab center itself—through its ownership, management, and staff—has that responsibility. With that said, there’s a lot of people streaming in and out of these places every day. And while the facility has the overall responsibility, others can share liability when something goes wrong, like:
- Outside doctors, counselors, or therapists
- Security personnel or property maintenance companies
- Third-party healthcare providers
- Manufacturers of defective equipment
- Pharmaceutical companies that supplied unsafe medications
Figuring out who is responsible can be one of the most difficult parts of these cases. It often takes time and a thorough investigation to understand exactly what happened and find everyone who may be liable. Even if it doesn’t feel that way right now, you have options—and you don’t have to go through this alone.
How to Recover Damages After an Injury in a Drug Rehab Facility
With negligence, there’s liability. And with liability comes the actual claims process. Oklahoma law gives people in drug rehab facilities that have been injured through negligence the same rights as someone that’s hurt in a car accident or a slip-and-fall. This means recovering damages through:
- Filing an insurance claim
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit
Most rehab facilities carry liability insurance designed to cover injuries caused by negligent care.
Filing an insurance claim is often faster because it happens outside of court. But insurance companies are focused on protecting their bottom line, and their initial settlement offer may not fully reflect the impact the injury has had on your life. If that happens, filing a personal injury lawsuit may be the next step. A lawsuit moves the process beyond the insurance company and allows the facts to be reviewed more formally. It may also allow you to recover damages for:
- Medical expenses and ongoing treatment costs
- Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and trauma
- Loss of independence or reduced quality of life
- Funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death cases
It’s also important to remember that Oklahoma generally gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a claim. While that may seem like plenty of time, investigations become more difficult as evidence disappears, injuries heal, and memories fade.
Ylla Gosney Helps Injury Victims in Tulsa Drug Rehab Facilities
When someone enters a drug rehab facility in Tulsa, they’re there to heal and rebuild their life.
An injury caused by negligence can interrupt that progress and leave patients and families facing uncertainty, frustration, and difficult questions.
At Ylla Gosney, Attorneys at Law, we can help you find answers. Our team will review what happened, explain your legal rights, and guide you through the claims process every step of the way. Set up a free consultation today to get started.