Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Robert Carradine's Family Sues UCLA Over Actor's Psychiatric Care Death
Robert Carradine was an actor and a dad in a TV show.
He was sad and sick in his mind for a long time, so he went to a hospital to get help.
His family says the hospital did not take away his belt, even though they knew he might hurt himself.
They say he tried to hurt himself just 19 hours after arriving.
His brain got badly hurt because it did not get enough oxygen.
He stayed in the hospital for five weeks after that.
Sadly, he died on February 23, 2026, when he was 71 years old.
His family is very upset and is taking the hospital to court.
They say hospitals must keep people safe when they go there to get better.
Robert Carradine's family filed a wrongful death and elder abuse and neglect lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California over his death.
The lawsuit alleges UCLA staff failed to confiscate his belt when he entered the locked psychiatric unit despite his history of suicidal thoughts and attempts.
The filing also claims staff left a rolling bedside table in his room, which was not standard furniture in the locked psychiatric unit.
Carradine attempted suicide 19 hours after admission, never regained consciousness, suffered an anoxic brain injury, and spent five weeks in the intensive care unit.
He died at age 71 on February 23, 2026, with the official cause of death ruled as sequelae of anoxic brain injury from a suicide attempt by hanging.
- Who
- Robert Carradine's family, who are suing UCLA and the Regents of the University of California
- What
- A wrongful death and elder abuse and neglect lawsuit alleging failures in Carradine's psychiatric care, including failure to confiscate his belt, contributed to his death
- When
- Carradine attempted suicide 19 hours after admission and died on February 23, 2026
- Where
- UCLA's locked psychiatric unit
- Why
- The family alleges UCLA failed to protect a hospitalized psychiatric patient with active suicidal thoughts by not removing his belt and leaving a rolling bedside table in his room
- Deceased
- Robert Carradine
- Age at death
- 71
- Date of death
- February 23, 2026
- Cause of death
- Sequelae of anoxic brain injury from a suicide attempt by hanging
- Lawsuit
- Wrongful death and elder abuse and neglect against the Regents of the University of California
- Key allegation
- UCLA staff failed to confiscate Carradine's belt and left a rolling bedside table in his room
- Suicide attempt
- 19 hours after admission to UCLA's locked psychiatric unit
- Hospital stay after injury
- Five weeks in the intensive care unit
- Known roles
- Lewis Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerds, Sam McGuire in Lizzie McGuire