MAPS says it was not able to comment on possible pending legal actions or what testimony they considered improper. In the coming days, MAPS will file post-verdict motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and a new trial for not properly instructing the jury that certain testimony should not have been allowed.” In a statement about the verdict, the organization said that “MAPS’ counsel, leadership, and Board of Directors believe there are adequate grounds to appeal the decision. MAPS says it believes that it has grounds to appeal the verdict and the jury award. The Zendo Project did not choose to immediately comment on the case. Initially named as a defendant in the case, the Zendo Project was later dismissed from the lawsuit. Efforts by MAPS and Gatlin’s parents to reach a settlement before the trial were unsuccessful.Ī cross-complaint filed by MAPS against the Do Lab, RGX Medical, and Gottlieb was withdrawn at the request of MAPS. Gatlin’s family initially sought $5 to $10 million in damages from MAPS. “Any responsibility held by Gatlin herself, the person who manufactured or provided substances to her, nor any of the people who witnessed her behavior was not able to be considered by the jury.” “The judge explicitly excluded Baylee Gatlin from the list, over defense objections, based on a ruling in Frausto v. MAPS noted that they wanted to include Baylee Gatlin to be considered by the jury for a percentage of fault in the harm that led to her death, but that the judge excluded her from this consideration. Keith Bremer, an attorney for the Do Lab, confirmed that because the Do Lab, RGX Medical and Gottlieb have already settled in the case, they will not be required to pay any share of the $4 million in total new damages awarded by the jury.īecause they were included in the apportioning of fault at the request of MAPS, Gatlin’s parents were found by the jury to have 0% responsibility for the harm caused to Baylee Gatlin. Wills to not consider the earlier settlement in their decision. James Farinaro, an attorney for Gottlieb and RGX Medical, did not reply to a request for comment on the verdict.ĭuring the trial, the jury was instructed by Judge Thomas W. Because they had already settled with the plaintiffs, Do Lab, RGX and Gottlieb were not represented by attorneys at the trial and had no opportunity to present arguments or submit evidence. The Gatlin family already reached a settlement last year with the Do Lab, RGX Medical, and Gottlieb for $4 million, which was paid by the Do Lab’s insurance company. The jury also found that negligence by the Do Lab and Richard Gottlieb dba RGX Medical was a substantial factor in causing harm to Baylee Gatlin. The Do Lab was found by the jury to be 20% responsible for Gatlin’s death. The jury also found that 55% of the responsibility for Gatlin’s death was held by Richard Gottlieb doing business as RGX Medical, which provided onsite first aid and event medical services for the festival. RGX Medical operated a medic tent at the 2017 LiB where Baylee Gatlin was first brought by her friends before being referred to the Zendo. It determined that MAPS was 25% responsible for Gatlin’s death which requires the organization to pay $1 million in damages. Jurors awarded $2 million each to Gatlin’s mothers Carla Gatlin and Susan Ybarra-Telias to compensate them for the loss of their daughter’s “love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society and moral support.” The jury was also required to establish the percentage of fault for parties in the case. Zendo volunteers involved in Gatlin’s care also were found to be negligent, but the jury did not find that this negligence was a substantial factor in her death. the producer of LiB, RGX Medical, which provided medical services at LiB, and RGX founder Richard Gottlieb.Īfter considering evidence from multiple witnesses in three weeks of testimony, the jury found that MAPS employees were negligent and their negligence was found to be a substantial factor in Gatlin’s death. vs Do Lab Inc., stems from a civil lawsuit for wrongful death brought by Gatlin’s family against MAPS, Do Lab, Inc. The verdict in the case, Carla Gatlin, et al. The Zendo first began offering services at Burning Man in 2012 and expanded to other festivals over the years. It trains volunteers to provide peer support for those having difficult experiences, including challenging encounters with psychedelic substances. The Zendo Project, which is in the process of becoming an independent nonprofit, is a pioneer in harm reduction. A jury in Monterey, California has found the nonprofit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies partially responsible for the death of 20-year-old Baylee Ybarra Gatlin who died after being cared for by members of the MAPS Zendo Project at the 2017 Lightning in a Bottle (LiB) music festival.
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