Robert Carradine’s Family Sues UCLA, Alleging Wrongful Death and Elder Abuse

Los Angeles, CA – Robert Carradine’s family filed a wrongful death and elder abuse lawsuit Friday against the Regents of the University of California, alleging safety failures inside a locked UCLA psychiatric unit led to the actor’s death in February.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles County court, names the university system as a defendant over the care Carradine received at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. According to the filing, Carradine voluntarily entered the locked unit in mid-January for treatment of anxiety and suicidal thoughts, hoping a structured inpatient setting would help stabilize him.

The family alleges that a series of preventable failures followed. Hospital staff allowed Carradine to keep a belt when he entered the unit, even though hospital policies prohibited belts because they could be used for self-harm, according to the lawsuit. The filing also claims staff left a rolling bedside table in his room, even though the family says the furniture was not standard in the locked unit. About 19 hours after his admission, Carradine attempted suicide inside the facility. The lawsuit also alleges that staff failed to conduct required checks every 15 minutes, leaving him unmonitored for extended periods.

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What Happened to Robert Carradine

Carradine suffered an anoxic brain injury and spent the next five weeks in intensive care without regaining consciousness. He died Feb. 23 at age 71. The family also alleges that UCLA’s internal review of the incident did not match surveillance footage and that hospital records conflicted with the video evidence. The lawsuit seeks general, special and economic damages. The Regents of the University of California had not responded to requests for comment as of this writing, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

Carradine’s family announced his death in February, describing him as a devoted father, grandfather, uncle and brother and noting his nearly two-decade struggle with bipolar disorder. He is survived by three children, Ever, Marika and Ian. Carradine was part of Hollywood’s Carradine acting family, the son of actor John Carradine and brother of David and Keith Carradine. He was best known for playing Lewis Skolnick in the “Revenge of the Nerds” film series and Sam McGuire on Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire.”

The lawsuit’s main allegations closely track national patient safety standards for psychiatric care. Since 2019, hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission have been required to maintain a “ligature-resistant” environment in locked psychiatric units and identify and remove items, including belts, cords and drawstrings, that could be used for self-harm. These standards exist because locked psychiatric units restrict a patient’s ability to leave, placing responsibility for environmental safety on hospital staff.

Elder Abuse Laws in California

Under California law, a hospital that fails to meet the accepted standard of care for patient safety can face liability under several legal theories. Civil Code Section 1714 establishes a general duty to use reasonable care to avoid injuring others, including a medical provider’s duty to its patients. Because Carradine was 71 when admitted, California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, Welfare and Institutions Code Section 15657, may also apply. The law allows enhanced remedies when neglect of an elder’s basic needs is proven by clear and convincing evidence. 

Carradine’s family can also pursue a wrongful death claim under Code of Civil Procedure Sections 377.60 and 377.61, which allow surviving family members to recover damages for the loss of a loved one caused by another party’s negligence.

Because the Regents of the University of California is a public entity, the family also had to clear a procedural hurdle before filing suit. Government Code Section 911.2 generally requires claims against public entities to be presented within six months of the incident. The family’s filing appears to meet that deadline, given the roughly five-and-a-half months between Carradine’s death and the lawsuit.