The family of Robert Carradine filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California last week.
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As reported by PEOPLE, the lawsuit alleges wrongful death, elder abuse, and neglect by staff at UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital during Carradine's hospitalization. Carradine died by suicide on February 23 at age 71.
What Are the Details of the Lawsuit?
Carradine voluntarily admitted himself to Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital on Jan. 16. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported he was being treated for ongoing suicidal ideation.
The lawsuit, filed on Friday, Aug. 7, claims that hospital staff did not follow key safety protocols during Carradine's treatment. It alleges he "walked into UCLA's locked psychiatric unit 'feeling relieved to be hospitalized.'"
But the suit claims that "instead of walking into a safe environment, he walked into a locked facility that broke a cardinal rule for a hospitalized psychiatric patient with active suicidal thoughts and a history of suicide attempts."
The Family of Robert Carradine Said the Hospital Didn't Perform the Required Checks
One of the suit's allegations is that staff allowed Carradine to "walk into a locked psychiatric unit with a belt." The lawsuit states that UCLA policy is not to allow patients to "have a belt because it can be used as a ligature to cause self-harm or hanging."
The family also claims that staff didn't perform the required check on Carradine every 15 minutes during the period he was found unresponsive. Video allegedly shows staff did not check on the actor before the incident. However, records indicate the required checks were performed.
Despite records that show Carradine was in group therapy the morning of his death, the lawsuit alleges this is inaccurate.
"Robert's chart does not record what happened to him. It records the opposite of what happened to him. The medical record does not reflect reality," the lawsuit says.
Carradine's family is seeking general damages, special and economic damages, and wrongful death damages.
"In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon of light to everyone around him," said his family in a statement issued at the time of the actor's death. "We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby's valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder. We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness."
