Parents reach settlement in lawsuit against rehab center over son’s fentanyl overdose.
Parents Reach Settlement in Wrongful Death Suit Against Drug Recovery Center
LOS ANGELES—The parents of a 27-year-old man who tragically died of a fentanyl overdose at a drug and alcohol recovery center in 2020 have recently reached a settlement with the facility located in the vibrant Echo Park neighborhood.
Plaintiffs Jon Kent Zediker and Kathleen Ennis filed a wrongful death suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2021 against the Dream Center Foundation. This foundation operates a 24-hour residential facility on Bellevue Avenue, which is closely associated with the Angelus Temple, a Pentecostal house of worship affiliated with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
Exciting news emerged on Friday when the couple’s attorney filed court papers with Judge Lisa R. Jaskol, informing her that the case had been successfully resolved. Although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, the judge promptly canceled the scheduled Oct. 10 trial.
Related Stories
In their court papers, attorneys representing the Dream Center Foundation denied the plaintiffs’ allegations and argued that any damages suffered were a result of their son’s own negligence.
However, Mr. Zediker and Ms. Ennis firmly maintained that their late son, Jonathan Scott Hand, obtained the fatal drugs from a roommate who tragically died at the same facility the day before due to an overdose.
“Drugs were brought into the defendants’ facility because they lacked the necessary staff to perform effective searches of incoming residents and residents returning from a temporary leave,” stated the plaintiffs’ attorneys in their court papers.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys further emphasized, “The insufficient staffing of defendants’ program is a direct result of their failure to obtain a license and subsequent lack of regulation by the state.”
According to the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ court papers, the program director admitted during a deposition that the program remains unlicensed and fails to disclose this information to incoming members.
“The way the program is operated, which is in violation of California law, directly led to the death of Jonathan,” argued the plaintiffs’ attorneys in their court papers.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys contended that if the facility had been regulated by the state, there would have been increased and improved staffing to prevent drugs from easily entering the premises. Additionally, Mr. Hand would have been searched and drug-tested when his roommate overdosed.
Contrary to these expectations, the Dream Center allegedly employed three unqualified individuals to supervise approximately 145 residents, as stated in the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ court papers.
Mr. Hand, who had a history of addiction, became a resident of the Dream Center facility in January 2020. He acknowledged his dependency on alcohol and drugs and sought to overcome his condition through the program.
Prior to Mr. Hand’s admission, the Dream Center staff assured him and his parents that the residential program was suitable for his needs. They claimed to possess the necessary skills to treat his problem, citing their successful track record in helping thousands of other individuals facing similar challenges.
On Feb. 8, 2020, the Dream Center staff became aware that Mr. Hand’s roommate had brought illicit drugs onto the premises. Tragically, the roommate died of a drug overdose at the facility on the same day, according to the complaint.
The plaintiffs firmly believe that the Dream Center staff should have been aware of the potential for drug use by other residents.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...