Eric Traut Sues Prominent Drug Treatment Center Passages After Alleged Wrongful Death, Cover-Up
Mar 13, 2017
PORT HUENEME, CA (Law Firm Newswire) March 31, 2017 – Eric Traut of Traut Firm will represent a high profile wrongful death suit going to trial December 18, 2017 alleging a wrongful death and cover-up at drug treatment center Passages. According to court documents, patient Gregory Link was discovered dead one day into treatment with alleged signs of a struggle as alleged by wife Lani Link, filed March 21, 2016, in the Ventura County Superior Court.
Says plaintiff Lani Link of Honolulu, Hawaii, of her late husband Gregory Link. “The loss I have suffered is incalculable.” Link was well known in Hawaii as an esteemed FAA air traffic control manager, having handled the airspace for President Obama’s trips to and from the island.
The circumstances leading up to Link’s wrongful death began when Passages allegedly sold Link a service they are not authorized to provide, for anxiety rather than substance abuse, according to court documents. According to the lawsuit, upon arrival at Passages, he was placed with a roommate alleged to be known as aggressive and hours later, according to court documents, Link was found dead on his first night in treatment, with a bag over his head, scratches on his body, and signs of a struggle.
Court documents allege that Passages did not adequately relay the event to authorities, even firing those employees who refused to participate in the cover-up. The claims are supported by the March 6 wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation verdict for a former Passages employee who claimed she was fired shortly after being instructed not to report or document the incident.
Link’s attorney, Eric Traut of Traut Firm, a longtime wrongful death and personal injury attorney, is suing for damages including wrongful death, emotional distress, negligent hiring, fraud, concealment, conspiracy, burial expenses and loss of love, saying, “It is hard to fathom the tremendous loss felt by Ms. Link. It is my goal through this lawsuit that, in the future, those pursuing help or treatment may receive it without fear of harm.”
Eric Traut distinguished himself early as one of the top trial attorneys in Southern California when he was recognized as the youngest winner of the prestigious Trial Lawyer of the Year award in the history of the Orange County Trial Lawyer Association. Eric has handled high-profile cases that have resulted in appearances on Good Morning America, Fox News, Court T.V., and ABC’s “Primetime.”
Partners of Traut Firm have litigated cases for a combined 60 years, serving as plaintiff’s attorneys primarily in areas of personal injury, legal malpractice, vehicle accidents and workplace accidents.
