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An adult film star has been awarded a massive settlement after mistreatment during a medical emergency at a rehab facility left her permanently disabled. Emily Willis, whose legal name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, and her family have been awarded $3 million by a court after she suffered a brain injury while staying at the Malibu treatment center that was so severe she is no longer able to care for herself.
The incident took place in 2024.
According to Complex, Emily checked into Summit Malibu in 2024 after developing an addiction to ketamine after using it daily for a year. She took a break from her career in the adult entertainment industry to complete the rehab program, but while she was there, she suffered a serious medical emergency that would change her life forever.
On February 4, 2024 — just one week after she arrived at Summit Malibu — Emily was found unresponsive in her room. A nurse performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but her brain was without oxygen long enough that the incident led to permanent damage. Emily weighed just 80 pounds at the time.
The Independent reported that Summit claimed that Emily refused medical advice and prescriptions and refused to be treated at a hospital, but the lawsuit filed by her mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper, accuses their actions of directly leading Emily to be disabled for the rest of her life.
A settlement was reached before the case could go to trial.
After Emily’s attorneys reduced their requested legal fees to $1 million from $1.2, they were able to reach a settlement with Summit that will award her family $3 million. The parties involved were set to go to trial in May, but they were able to reach an agreement that was later approved by a judge.
Because of the injury to her brain, Emily can no longer move her body and doesn’t always respond to people who are close to her. She is able to open her eyes sometimes, but can’t communicate.
She now lives with her mother in Utah.
Because of her condition, Emily, who is now 27 years old, can no longer live independently.
Evri Magaci reported that her legal team claimed that she is suffering from something similar to “locked-in syndrome,” which would mean she is fully conscious but physically paralyzed and unable to communicate with those around her, which is obviously terrifying.
Of course, there’s no amount of money that could ever make up for what happened to Emily — or the fact that she will now need full time care for the rest of her life. But hopefully, having the financial burden of the situation lifted a bit will help her family as they all adjust to their new normal.
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