Personal injury law firm Spetsas Buist has filed a lawsuit on the circumstances surrounding a young woman’s escape from Pasadena Villa, a facility operated by Renaissance Healthcare Group, shortly before her tragic death.
Spetsas Buist Accident Injury Lawyers, a personal injury and wrongful death law firm based in Orlando, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a young woman who tragically lost her life after escaping the Pasadena Villa Psychiatric Treatment facility. The facility, now known as Lifeskills Orlando, is a residential mental health facility operated by Renaissance Healthcare Group and Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare. The young woman was living at the facility and receiving residential treatment for mental health conditions at the time of her tragic passing.
According to the lawsuit, the young woman, Taylor Meador, was recognized as a suicide risk while under the care of the facility. In fact, this is why she entered the facility in the first place. In an effort to protect her safety, she was to be placed under routine observation where behavioral health technicians were supposed to check on her regularly and document the check, including her whereabouts at the time, what she was doing, and when the technician performed the check. However, the lawsuit alleges that the facility failed to perform scheduled observations, which resulted in Taylor escaping from the facility without intervention.
The lawsuit alleges that on October 22, 2022, Taylor was left unmonitored for a prolonged period and somehow gained unauthorized and unsupervised access to her cell phone. She then escaped the facility without intervention and used her cell phone to arrange for a rideshare service to pick her up. She arranged to be transported to a parking garage in Orlando, where she ultimately committed suicide.
The lawsuit brought forth by Spetsas Buist Accident Injury Lawyers outlines claims for damages including medical and funeral expenses, loss of income and net accumulations, and the ongoing mental pain and suffering endured by her surviving family members, namely Taylor’s parents.
“This is a heartbreaking case involving a young woman who was in the care of a facility that her family trusted to take care of her,” said attorney Nicholas Spetsas. “We are committed to seeking accountability and helping her family find answers and get justice during an unimaginable time.”
The case highlights broader concerns regarding practices at residential mental health facilities trusted with the most vulnerable people in our society. “Families across the United States are trusting these mental health facilities with their children, and far too often the facility lets them down,” said attorney Charles Buist. “As we continue to see private equity get involved in these industries and small companies getting devoured by giant corporate entities, we need to make sure that these entities and investors understand that they have a responsibility to the families, not just to their shareholders. We want to make sure that Taylor did not die in vain. We want her death to serve as a warning to any entities that consider cutting corners to increase profits.”
About Spetsas Buist
Spetsas Buist Accident Injury Lawyers is an Orlando-based personal injury and wrongful death law firm dedicated to fighting for justice with integrity and compassion. The firm handles complex cases involving wrongful death, negligent security, trucking accidents, and more. At Spetsas Buist, clients are given direct access to a lawyer from start to finish and only pay if they win. They combine an aggressive courtroom approach with compassionate, client-focused support to ensure every voice is heard and relentlessly represented. For more information on the firm, visit their website at https://www.spetsasbuist.com/
For interviews with Spetsas Buist representatives or the family involved in this case, please contact Zabrina Zulaica at zabrina@hitpr.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250729002415/en/
A lawsuit alleges a mental health facility’s failure to monitor led to a young woman’s tragic death.
Contacts
Zabrina Zulaica
zabrina@hitpr.com