Amanda Gibson checked into Music City Detox in February 2025 for alcohol and benzodiazepine addiction, according to court filings that include facility intake records. She told staff she was experiencing withdrawal symptoms, was very nauseous and was afraid she was going to have a seizure, the records show.

Three days after she was admitted, a nurse found her unresponsive on her bed, face down, according to the lawsuit and her family.

An autopsy ruled her death natural and attributed it to a form of heart disease. But her son, Tyler Gibson, said he grew concerned about whether the facility was properly monitoring his mother during withdrawal from alcohol and benzodiazepines, which can be life-threatening without proper medical supervision. He said she also had diabetes and a history of blackouts.

“I asked when the last time she was checked on and where her bottles were, and they couldn't answer it,” Gibson said.

Tyler Gibson filed a complaint with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. According to a state investigative report, investigators found two staff members responsible for routinely monitoring Amanda Gibson “falsified observation rounds, withdrawal assessment and vitals in the medical record.”

The report also said surveillance video showed one of the nurses “watching a movie and eating.” Investigators wrote that he got up several times but did not visit any patients' rooms.

“It's heart-breaking,” Tyler Gibson said after learning about the findings. “I believe it could have been preventable.”

Music City Detox terminated both staff members, according to state records, which also show both had previously received warnings there for similar problems. The state issued the facility a licensure notice of noncompliance for “dereliction of operation” and “neglect.”

Tyler Gibson's attorney, Heath Brooks, said serious cases often raise questions about whether required regulations and procedures were followed in care facilities.

“In a lot of situations where there is a horrific scenario, we find a regulation wasn't followed or there wasn't enough staffing or the wrong person was hired and kept in place that wasn't doing the job they were supposed to be doing,” Brooks said.

Music City Detox and its parent company, Evoraa, are named as defendants. An attorney for the facility said in a statement that “our thoughts remain with Ms. Gibson's family” and that the facility is “committed to providing safe, high-quality care to every person we serve.” The statement said the facility is in good standing with the state licensure office and accredited by The Joint Commission, and that it takes all allegations seriously.

After the investigation, Music City Detox submitted a corrective action plan to the state that included additional staff competency reviews and monthly audits of camera footage.

The allegations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.

Tyler Gibson, who works as a paramedic, said the lawsuit will not bring his mother back but he hopes it will prevent something similar from happening to someone else.

“Accountability, making sure this doesn't happen to anybody else,” he said. “Patient care is very important to me, so it's not just about a mom. I care about everybody. I treat every patient as my own family.”

Families considering a treatment facility can check the state website to determine whether a facility is licensed. However, complaints and violations involving rehabilitation centers are not routinely posted publicly; records requests can take weeks to be filled. Accreditation by organizations such as The Joint Commission or the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities is not a guarantee that problems will never occur — Music City Detox held Joint Commission accreditation.