Actor Robert Carradine's family sues UCLA hospital over his death

The family of American actor Robert Carradine has filed a lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), accusing the hospital of negligence they say contributed to the actor's death. Carradine, 71, best known for his role in "Revenge of the Nerds" and the series "Lizzie McGuire," attempted suicide in February and died on February 23 after nearly five weeks in intensive care.

Alleged safety failures

The wrongful death and elder abuse lawsuit, filed on Friday, states that Carradine had checked into UCLA's locked psychiatric unit seeking help to manage anxiety in a structured, safe environment. The family claims staff failed to follow several of the hospital's own safety rules — a belt he had with him was not confiscated, despite belts being classified as prohibited items in the unit, and his room contained a wheeled table, a type of furniture the family says is not normally used there.

Sequence of events

About 19 hours after admission, the actor attempted suicide. The lawsuit alleges staff failed to conduct the required checks every 15 minutes, leaving Carradine unsupervised for an extended period. He never regained consciousness afterward and suffered brain damage from oxygen deprivation. The family also disputes the findings of the hospital's internal investigation, claiming discrepancies between the hospital's documentation and surveillance camera footage. The lawsuit seeks compensation for material and non-material damages; the allegations have not been proven in court.

After his death, the family publicly revealed that Carradine had long struggled with bipolar disorder, expressing hope his story would raise awareness of mental health issues. Robert Carradine belonged to Hollywood's well-known Carradine acting dynasty — his father was actor John Carradine, his brothers were David and Keith Carradine, and his daughter Ever Carradine is also an actress.