Seven-Figure Settlement in Los Angeles

Seven-Figure Settlement in Los Angeles

Background

In December 2023, a 27-year-old man with a history of seizures and several brain surgeries entered a Los Angeles skilled nursing facility after discharge from UCLA. He was stable and able to communicate with his family, who visited every day.

Within days, staff notes showed clear warning signs: unusual sleepiness, low blood pressure, and a fast heart rate. No one promptly notified a doctor. Sixteen days after admission, he was sent to the hospital in critical condition and died the next evening from septic shock caused by pneumonia and a urinary tract infection.

Allegations and Negligence

The family’s claim focused on preventable failures at the facility:

• Missed monitoring and escalation: Abnormal vital signs were not reported to a physician in a timely way.
• Medication and IV errors: Two ordered doses of IV Meropenem were never given, and the same IV site was left in place too long, raising infection risk.
• Poor care planning: Despite known aspiration risks, the facility did not implement a soft, thickened-liquid diet or complete speech, physical, and occupational therapy evaluations.
• Ignored family concerns: Repeated reports from his mother about excessive sleepiness were not escalated to appropriate providers.
• New injuries under care: He developed contractures in all four limbs and a sacral pressure injury—conditions not present at hospital discharge.

These lapses allowed infections to progress and led to a preventable death.

Settlement and Impact

Peck Law Group moved quickly to protect evidence, obtain complete records, and consult with medical and nursing experts.

We built a clear timeline, showed where care broke down, and connected those failures to the final outcome. The matter resolved for a seven-figure settlement, reflecting the seriousness of the facility’s conduct and providing support for the family’s losses.

The case also reinforced the need for strict monitoring, timely physician notification, accurate medication administration, proper IV care, and prompt therapy assessments when a resident’s condition changes.

Conclusion

This case shows how missed warning signs and basic protocol failures in a long-term care setting can lead to tragedy—and how focused advocacy can bring accountability.

If your family has faced similar issues, you’re not alone. Contact Peck Law Group for a free case evaluation to understand your rights and the next steps toward justice.