Overview
- The family filed a wrongful-death and elder-abuse lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California, which was filed Friday and seeks general, special, economic and wrongful-death damages.
- According to the complaint, Carradine was admitted to UCLA’s locked psychiatric unit and attempted suicide about 19 hours later, suffered an anoxic brain injury, spent roughly five weeks in intensive care and died on February 23, 2026.
- The suit alleges specific safety lapses including staff allowing Carradine to keep a belt that UCLA policy lists as contraband, leaving a nonstandard rolling bedside table in his room, and failing to perform required 15-minute observation checks.
- The family also says surveillance video contradicted the hospital’s records and accuses UCLA of preserving an inaccurate version of events rather than investigating what the video showed.
- Reporters asked UCLA for comment and the university had not immediately responded, and the lawsuit could trigger closer review of inpatient psychiatric practices and recordkeeping at public hospitals.