$14.5 million sought in third wrongful death lawsuit against New Life Lodge

A third wrongful death lawsuit was filed last week against New Life Lodge in Burns. Charity Comage of Brownsville is seeking $14.5 million for the death of her 18-year-old son, Savon Kinney, just days after his discharge from the drug and alcohol rehab facility. The suit claims Kinney was not properly monitored after being given the antipsychotic drug Saphris following his admission to New Life. During his four months at New Life, the suit claims Kinney gained over 50 pounds and when he was taken to the hospital Oct. 23, 2011, his blood sugar was five times higher than normal. He died just three days after his 18^th birthday. Kinney was the third New Life patient to die in a 15-month period, prompting the state to close the facility just three weeks later. After a new patient care plan was put in place, the state allowed New Life to re-open in April with a reduced capacity. Kinney was placed at New Life by the Department of Children’s Services, which suspended admissions to the Dickson County facility a month later but did not remove all the children at the facility. Comage’s lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Dickson County Circuit Court. New Life Lodge and its California-based parent company, CRC Health, have not responded to the latest lawsuit, other than saying a new health care director and system have been put in place at the facility.