If you suspect a loved one didn’t receive the medical care they needed and deserved, you’re not alone, and you have legal options. Here’s what you need to know about medical neglect in California nursing homes.

What Counts as “Failure to Provide Proper Medical Care”?

What should you know about polypharmacy and nursing home injuries in Berkeley, CA, and throughout the Bay Area? Our Northern California nursing home neglect lawyers can provide you with more information, and we can speak with you today about holding a facility accountable for medical negligence that resulted in your loved one’s injuries.   

What is Polypharmacy?

Inability to Report Abuse Due to Cognitive Impairment

Many older adults in Southern California nursing homes are residing in these facilities because they need a high level of care associated with their cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment among older adults can have different causes, including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia or the result of a stroke.

According to reporting regarding the incident, 53-year-old Oceanside resident Ryan Radabaugh died after he was run over by a vehicle while lying in a parking lot outside Stepping Stone Resources, an adult special needs facility in Fallbrook. The incident occurred on July 23, when a 23-year-old driver reportedly entered the parking lot and did not see Radabaugh lying on the pavement. The vehicle was reportedly traveling approximately five miles per hour. Radabaugh was transported to the hospital but later died from his injuries.

The circumstances surrounding this tragic incident remain under investigation, and no determination has been made regarding whether the facility or any other party was legally responsible for Radabaugh’s death.

A stark reminder of this systemic issue recently made headlines in California. State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a massive $15 million settlement with a network of skilled nursing facilities operating under or connected to Carlsbad-based Sweetwater Care. The lawsuit, initially filed over a year ago, detailed a horrific pattern of illegal understaffing and severe resident neglect across more than a dozen facilities—mostly located in rural parts of the state.

At Nursing Home Law Group, we have spent decades advocating for victims of elder abuse and nursing home neglect throughout California. As long-time legal representatives for families devastated by facility misconduct, we see the real-world consequences of these failures every single day. The details of the state’s enforcement action against Sweetwater Care serve as a grave warning about what happens when facilities prioritize profit margins over basic human care.

How does unintentional neglect result in Oakland nursing home injuries? Consider the following information.  

Understanding Unintentional Neglect and How It Affects Nursing Home Residents

Too often, that trust is misplaced.

A recent investigative report by KFF Health News revealed a disturbing pattern of resident-on-resident violence in nursing homes and memory care facilities across the country. The investigation details multiple preventable tragedies in which residents with known histories of aggression seriously injured or killed other vulnerable residents after facilities ignored warning signs, failed to implement adequate care plans, or neglected to provide sufficient supervision.

What should you know about the new research, and about brain injuries in nursing homes more broadly? Our Sonoma County nursing home neglect attorneys can provide you with more information. 

Concussions and Other TBIs May Increase Risk of Dementia

The allegations are deeply troubling. Investigators reportedly found elderly residents who were malnourished, neglected, and in need of medical attention. Authorities stated that some victims had been left in urine and feces, while the homes were described as unkept and unsafe. Neighbors reported hearing screams from inside one of the homes and described seeing residents locked behind a chained front gate.

According to law enforcement, the investigation began after deputies responded to a home on the 200 block of West 234th Place in Carson on February 24, 2026. Inside, they reportedly found seven elderly residents suffering from neglect. Authorities later served warrants at multiple homes in Carson and rescued additional elderly residents, bringing the total number of victims to at least 11.

As we age, and especially at age 65 and older, the risk of sustaining certain types of injuries grows. Among older adults, fall-related injuries such as bone fractures (and hip fractures in particular), as well as traumatic brain injuries and other forms of head trauma, are more likely to occur. Choking can also become a bigger hazard. But are any of these injuries actually a “normal” part of aging? In short, the answer is no, and nursing homes can be liable when any injuries occur among elderly residents.

What Types of Injuries Become More Common as Adults Age?

Certain types of injuries become more likely and can result in more severe injuries as adults age, particularly once they reach the age of 65 or older. Choking risks increase as saliva production decreases, and as mobility issues arise, falls become more likely.