Recent developments have emerged in the legal battle involving Emily Willis’s family and a Californian rehabilitation facility. The family has initiated a lawsuit following a medical incident that resulted in Willis’s permanent disability.
Known by her real name, Litzy Lara Banuelos, Willis was a prominent figure in the adult film industry, appearing in approximately 700 productions. By 2023, she had shifted away from the adult scene, aspiring to become a mainstream actress.
However, in February of the same year, she experienced a heart attack while receiving treatment for ketamine addiction at the Summit Malibu rehab center.
The lawsuit, filed by her mother, claims that Willis, a former adult film star, slipped into a vegetative coma for two months, sustaining irreversible brain damage that rendered her ‘permanently disabled’.
The family contends that the center failed to act in a timely manner as her condition worsened over several days. The lawsuit states that Willis was consuming five to six grams of ketamine daily before her admission.
The suit alleges that staff ignored escalating symptoms such as chills, tremors, confusion, and intense pain leading up to her cardiac arrest.
Although emergency services were called on February 3, Willis was not transported to a hospital initially. She was discovered unconscious slightly more than a day later.
The lawsuit claims paramedics administered CPR for 30 to 40 minutes before reviving her. While she emerged from the coma two months later, she remains mostly paralyzed.
In February, her attorney James A. Morris confirmed that Willis had regained slight movement in her body.
Though medical experts speculated about her having locked-in syndrome, Morris mentioned that no formal diagnosis had been made.
The lawsuit targets Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, for ‘abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence, and deceptive business practices’.
A significant court hearing is scheduled for next month, potentially shaping the direction of the case.
On June 18, the court is set to address a Demurrer and Motion to Strike, where the defendants will contest the legal complaint.
The Demurrer, according to the California Courts Self-Help Guide, is a ‘procedural objection’ that examines whether the complaint, even if factual, lacks the legal grounds to proceed.
Filed under California Code of Civil Procedure § 430.10, the defense argues that the lawsuit does not satisfy all necessary legal elements to support claims of negligence or misconduct.
Theoretically, this means the family’s lawsuit could be entirely dismissed.
The Motion to Strike, accompanying the demurrer, seeks to remove portions of the complaint that could be considered ‘irrelevant, vague, or legally improper’.
Simultaneously, a Case Management Conference (CMC) will take place. During this procedural meeting, as outlined by Thomson Reuters Practical Law, the judge will assess key issues, manage scheduling, and explore potential resolutions before trial.
If the court decides against the demurrer, the CMC will establish a discovery timeline and deadlines for pretrial motions and may refer the parties to mediation.
The outcome of the June hearing will determine if the case progresses toward trial, highlighting the care standards within California’s rehabilitation sector.