Nursing Home Abuse & Elder Abuse Attorney in Los Angeles, California

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Los Angeles Data

Nursing Home Abuse & Elder Abuse Statistics in Los Angeles

250+

Skilled Nursing Facilities (LA County)

35,000+

Licensed Beds (LA County)

$475+/day

Avg. Daily Private Rate

2 years from discovery

EADACPA SOL

Local Courts

Courts in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles County Superior Court — Stanley Mosk Courthouse

111 N Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Los Angeles County Superior Court — Compton Courthouse

200 W Compton Blvd, Compton, CA 90220

Medical Facilities

Hospitals & Trauma Centers in Los Angeles

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

LAC+USC Medical Center

2051 Marengo St, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Liability Overview

Liability Considerations in Los Angeles

Nursing Home Abuse in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County is home to California's most active nursing home abuse litigation docket, driven by its large elderly population, the concentration of major corporate nursing home chains, and the strength of EADACPA remedies. California's minimum CNA staffing requirement of 3.2 hours per resident day — higher than the 2024 federal minimum — provides an additional theory of negligence when facilities fall below the state minimum. CANHR (California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform) publishes detailed facility-level complaint and inspection data that supplements the CMS Care Compare database and is frequently referenced in litigation.

EADACPA Advantages in LA Litigation

Los Angeles nursing home plaintiffs benefit from EADACPA's enhanced wrongful death damages — the estate can recover the decedent's pre-death pain and suffering, not available under standard California wrongful death law. Attorney's fees are recoverable from the defendant when the abuse involved recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice. The discovery rule for EADACPA claims provides a 2-year SOL running from when the plaintiff discovered or should have discovered the abuse — particularly valuable in cases involving cognitively impaired residents who could not report abuse themselves. LA County Superior Court juries have historically been receptive to nursing home abuse cases, and several eight-figure verdicts have been entered in the past decade.

The Team

Your Legal Team

JN

James Nakamura

Partner, Nursing Home & Long-Term Care Practice

Los Angeles, CA

17+ Years Experience
Elder abuse under California EADACPAPressure ulcer litigationNursing home wrongful deathFinancial exploitation of elderlyArbitration defense in elder care cases

James Nakamura has dedicated his 17-year career to holding California nursing homes and assisted living facilities accountable under the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (EADACPA), one of the nation's strongest elder protection statutes. His undergraduate background in gerontology gives him deep substantive knowledge of the aging process, common medical conditions in elderly patients, and the regulatory environment governing long-term care. James has successfully challenged arbitration clauses in nursing home admission contracts on multiple occasions, preserving his clients' right to jury trial in cases involving significant damages. He has recovered more than $95 million for clients across California, with particular expertise in cases involving large corporate nursing home chains with histories of repeat CMS deficiency citations. He is a member of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) advisory panel.

Education

  • J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (2009)
  • B.A., Gerontology, University of Southern California (2006)