Recovering Meth Addict Sues Her Dealer

[Powder_Reality]

This is kind of an old story from October 2005. I couldn't find any reports on it here, so I figured I'd post it.

Recovering Meth Addict Sues Drug Dealer Following Overdose

A recovering crystal meth addict in Canada is suing the dealer who allegedly sold her a near-fatal dose, claiming he did so fully aware that it was likely to harm her.

Sandra Bergen and her parents are seeking more than $50,000 (CAD), plus medical expenses on behalf of the Canadian health-care system, from Clinton Davey, who she says sold her the crystal meth in May 2004, two days before she was scheduled to testify in a sexual assault case.

Bergen had been clean for eight months when she says Davey sought her out and preyed on her vulnerability as a former addict by using the drug in front of her, causing her to relapse.

Bergen claims Davey was aware that she was set to testify against a man accused of sexually assaulting her, and believes he deliberately pushed the drug on her as a friend of the young man standing trial.

"I knew my dealer all my life. He was a predator and he manipulated me," said Bergen, who attended kindergarten with Davey and lives near him in the town of Biggar, Saskatchewan.

The suit, filed earlier this month, alleges that Davey left her in the throes of an overdose in his home for eight hours without seeking medical assistance.
The suit also names Dalis Davey, Clinton Davey's grandmother, who allegedly allowed her grandson to sell from her home and also stood by as Bergen experienced the overdose.

Bergen, 21, was in a coma for 10 days, and was left with permanent physical ailments in her heart, kidneys and lungs, the suit says.

Doctors told the Bergen family that Sandra would not survive. Nonetheless, she came out of the coma and with a heart that functions at half the level it used to.

"The hardest thing to adjust to was being 19 years old and full of energy when all this happened, then waking up on my 20th birthday and feeling like I was 60 years old," Bergen said.

"I get worn out very fast. In my mind, I think I can do things, but my heart shuts me down."

The suit is reportedly the first of its kind in Canada, though several drug users in the United States have won liability damages from drug dealers under similar circumstances.

"Clinton knew the said drug was highly addictive and harmful to the health and well-being of anyone taking it," according to the suit, filed in the Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

"Such sale by Clinton was for the purpose of making money but also for the purpose of intentionally inflicting physical and mental suffering on Sandra," the complaint alleges.

Following her "miraculous" recovery, Bergen says she sees the suit as both part of her recovery process and a means of holding Davey and his grandmother accountable for dealing.

"If we are successful, this should send a message that dealers can be held to account for what they do," Bergen said.

In her spare time, she talks to high school students and recovering addicts about the dangers of methamphetamines. "If my story can help others, then it helps me too," she said.

The defendant did not return calls seeking comment. He was recently arrested on unrelated drug charges and has yet to enter a plea on drug charges stemming from Bergen's case.

"The idea is to bring some economic responsibility to the guys at the street level, because if you can make it a liability for them, maybe it will make an impact," said Bergen's lawyer, Stuart Busse.

For that reason, Busse says, the suit includes the federal government as plaintiffs, for having paid Bergen's medical costs as a universal health care provider.

"If they stand to benefit, hopefully it will encourage them to pursue these guys instead of just the kingpins," Busse said.

Sandra's mother, Georgina Bergen, who is also a party to the suit, says she and her family do not realistically expect to gain money from the defendants.
"We know we're never going to recoup our losses. It's more of a suit to send a message and make it safer for the kids," she said. "My daughter lived, but someone else's might not."

[jesusfreak666er]

wow... thats almost as bad as this

swim was watching "COPS" (because i dont watch cops... thats pathetic) and a women waved down a cop and told them that a women stole 20 dollars from her because she wanted to buy 20 dollars of crack and was given peices of plaster (im not making this up, i swear!).

[trip.more]

yeah I seen that episode

I don't see how it was his fault she didn't have to use it.

[Sitbcknchill]

You have to remember that the majority of people blame their problems on someone else rather then themselves......it's sad that people do not like to confess to their own mistakes....


Powder, did you find an update to this story? I'm pretty sure I know the outcome but was curious....

[Nagognog2]

"Your Honor. The vacuum-cleaner saleman said this Electro-Lux Model 850 would solve all my problems at home. Then my husband found it. I thought he'd be angry that he had to pay for it! But - NO! No, your Honor! He used it to suck his penis and now he sleeps in the den on the sofa! I can hear it roaring away all night long in there! I believe I deserve $14,700,000 for the emotional trauma and desolation I feel! This ruined my marriage!"

"The Court finds Robert Z. Tumleton guilty of destroying this woman's like for selling her this vacuum-cleaner. Mr. Tumleton: The Court instructs you to pay the $14.7 million within one week. And to remove the vacuum-cleaner within this period." <BANG!>

[Powder_Reality]

I'm having trouble finding anything recent about this lawsuit. I was able to find this article though:

Accused Drug Dealer To Take The Stand
by Betty Ann Adam, CanWest News Service, (11 Mar 2006) Regina Leader-Post Saskatchewan
SASKATOON -- A crystal meth lawsuit moves forward next week when the lawyer for Sandra Bergen and her parents is scheduled to question a man alleged to have sold Bergen the drug that almost killed her.

Bergen, 20, suffered a massive heart attack on May 6, 2004 in Biggar after smoking methamphetamine, a street drug she alleges she bought from Clinton Davey.

Bergen survived but suffered permanent heart damage. Now she and her parents, Georgina and Stan Bergen, are suing Davey and his mother, Dalis Davey, for more than $50,000.

Allegations in the Bergen's claim have not been proven in court.

Stuart Busse, the Bergen's lawyer, said the family wants it understood "that if you sell drugs to people, you're going to have to pay. And any money you make selling the drugs, you will lose."

The Bergens claim Clinton Davey sold the drug to Bergen knowing it was highly addictive and harmful. They claim Davey did so to make money and to inflict physical and mental suffering on Sandra Bergen.

The Bergens also allege Dalis Davey was aware that Clinton was in possession of the drug and that he used her house to store it and sold it from the house. They claim Dalis Davey conspired to addict and injure Sandra and was negligent in allowing Clinton to operate his drug business out of her house.

------------------------------------

I'll keep looking for updates on the trial and if I find any I'll make sure to post them.

This whole trial is quite twisted in my opinion. "A recovering crystal meth addict in Canada is suing the dealer who allegedly sold her a near-fatal dose, claiming he did so fully aware that it was likely to harm her."

Let's say my lab rat decides that he wants to buy himself a personal supply of cocaine, so he buys himself a half ounce bag of it. He knows damn well that there is enough drug in that package to seriously harm or kill himself. He doesn't need a warning label on it like on Flintstone's chewable vitamins to tell him that. He's also sure that his dealer wouldn't want him to overdose on it, because if he did he might get sued :P .

If my lab rat overdosed on meth and permanently damaged his heart, kidneys and lungs because of it, he might think long and hard about what he just did to himself and try to learn from it. Maybe he would decide that he really needs to try his damn best to quit and break off all connections he has with the drug. That may include never associating with his dealers ever again.

Personally I don't agree with the fact that Sandra and her family are exploiting the shit out of her overdose with the intent of making $50,000 off of it. But that's just my opinion.

[cyndi]

Originally Posted by Powder_Reality

If my lab rat overdosed on meth and permanently damaged his heart, kidneys and lungs because of it, he might think long and hard about what he just did to himself and try to learn from it. Maybe he would decide that he really needs to try his damn best to quit and break off all connections he has with the drug. That may include never associating with his dealers ever again.

Personally I don't agree with the fact that Sandra and her family are exploiting the shit out of her overdose with the intent of making $50,000 off of it. But that's just my opinion.

I agree 100%, people are too sue crazy. Oh lab rats are funny creatures, tending to not remember the bad times but ideally yes that is correct.

[izzy31]

*sigh* what a pile of dog shit.

[Sitbcknchill]

My god, I just came across this and it just makes me want to choke this girl. Sounds like she is just looking for an out. http://www.methtoday.com/

Am I the only person who sees through her propaganda? Now granted I'm not saying meth is good for you and all that jazz but this girl is just full of it. It is stuff like this that really gets my panties in a bunch.....

[runfrom MURDER]

Originally Posted by Sitbcknchill

My god, I just came across this and it just makes me want to choke this bitch. Sounds like she is just looking for an out. http://www.methtoday.com/

Am I the only person who sees through her dumb ass propaganda? Now granted I'm not saying meth is good for you and all that jazz but this girl is just full of it. It is shit like this that really gets my panties in a bunch.....

The addiction all matters on the person, in my opinion. SWIM has an addictive personality, so he can't really stop.

But some people are gifted with that self-control...

[Sitbcknchill]

^^^What does that have to do with anything involving this case though?

I am talking about that site about the case and referring mainly to the statement of claim by the plaintiff and the fact that there is a site dedicated to it....

[cyndi]

Originally Posted by Sitbcknchill

My god, I just came across this and it just makes me want to choke this girl. Sounds like she is just looking for an out. http://www.methtoday.com/

Am I the only person who sees through her propaganda? Now granted I'm not saying meth is good for you and all that jazz but this girl is just full of it. It is stuff like this that really gets my panties in a bunch.....

You are right that is a bunch of garbage. Please nobody forced it on her. She just wants the money probably to buy more speed. Swim has done lots of speed in her day and never ended up in the hospital over it from the drug. HOwever, it is not good for you. Swim just hates lawsuits. The girl was being reckless and should sue herself, common actually needs someone else to blame cause she is ok. Right?

"The addiction all matters on the person, in my opinion. SWIM has an addictive personality, so he can't really stop.

But some people are gifted with that self-control..."

Swim either but does have sense to stop when she is feeling oh like too much was taken and will back off it a while. Swim has no self control and will admit that. If it wasn't speed, it would be food, shopping, something. Swim is very obsessive.

[dre3k]

SWIM decides to "purchase" the drug from her dealer... Oh but wait SWIM bought to much.. Might as well smoke it all..

---overdose---

Fuck you pay me!!!

She saying.. he smoked it infront of me.. so i had to buy it. She didnt have to buy anything.. and if i were in her position.. i wouldnt of been around a meth dealer if i knew i was acceptable to a relapse.. ma 2 cents

[acolon_5]

How increadably sad. SWIM was always a little upset at the guy who introduced him to herion, but it wasn't his fault. SWIM ruined 5 years of his life all on his own.... What a stupid girl, I'm sure her parents had quite a bit to do with it. Many parents now-a-days are quick to place blame on anyone other than their child. It is a sad state of affairs. I hear it didn't use to be like that. Before, I hear, people actually had to admit their mistakes, and blaming others was a sign of weakness....the world has moved on.

[kritikal]

I thought i would share my view,

Not all methamphetamine is smoked.
He could have been an IV user.
One must consider the fact that perhaps she was given a rod full of meth and told it was a small dose where it could have been upwards of a weight.

I know of someone who on many occasions has told a friend it is just a point, when really it was a half weight
of some potent gear. Just to watch them cripple up on the floor. He has also put this friend in a coma. And yes he is practically insane.

If this is the case then i think she is well in the rights of that entitlement because it has been extremely detrimental to her health.