Presley Gerber dies: Cindy Crawford's son's death brings rehab safety into focus

Presley Gerber, the son of American supermodel Cindy Crawford, died while staying at a rehab facility in Los Angeles, California on Sunday (20 September). The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) has described the death as a "suspected overdose". This has raised questions about the safety arrangements at rehab facilities and whether these centers can be held responsible for deaths like Gerber's.

Resolutions Living, where Gerber was staying, is a mental health facility located in the coastal city of Santa Monica in California state. The facility describes itself as a "leader in addiction and mental health support" on its website. "At Resolutions Living, we help residents develop a life worth living through a sober living program designed for their unique needs and individual recovery plans," the facility says.

An expert weighs in

John J Perlstein, a wrongful death attorney based in Southern California, told USA TODAY that overdose deaths frequently occur at treatment centers. Perlstein said that is the case "because you're in there with a lot of people who were addicted to drugs and know how to get drugs."

Factors that determine liability

Perlstein told the publication that a rehab facility's liability for the death of a patient varies depending on a number of factors, including the types of services offered and the level of care provided. The attorney, however, added that negligence can involve both the actions of a facility and those of a patient. "They [the patient] got themselves there, and then if they ingested drugs voluntarily, what it depends on is the exact factual situation you're dealing with," Perlstein concluded.

Gerber's mental health struggles

Presley Gerber, the only son of Crawford, died at the age of 27, with authorities currently working to determine the exact cause of death. In a press release on Monday, the local police said that there was no indication of foul play. In recent years, Gerber had spoken openly about his mental health struggles and drug use. "Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that's all I need to do," he had told the Studio 22 podcast in 2023.