Holding Ensign Facilities Accountable for Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse

Skilled nursing facilities operated by The Ensign Group are entrusted with the care of some of California’s most vulnerable residents. When that trust is broken through neglect, understaffing, or abuse, the consequences can be devastating—sometimes fatal. Our law firm represents elders and dependent adults, and their families, in claims against Ensign-owned and Ensign-operated skilled nursing facilities throughout California.

We have achieved successful results for clients harmed in Ensign facilities, including cases involving:

• Pressure ulcers (bedsores)
• Falls and preventable fractures
• Sexual assault and sexual abuse
• Resident-on-resident assaults
• Neglect leading to dehydration, infections, or sepsis
• Elopement and inadequate supervision
• Wrongful death

Our focus is simple: protect residents, expose systemic failures, and obtain justice and accountability.

The Ensign Group: Size Does Not Excuse Neglect

The Ensign Group operates a large network of skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities across California. Despite their size and resources, Ensign facilities are frequently cited for violations involving:

• Chronic understaffing
• Inadequate wound care
• Failure to supervise high-risk residents
• Poor infection control
• Inadequate investigation and prevention of abuse

Large corporate ownership does not shield a facility from responsibility. In fact, corporate policies, cost-cutting measures, and staffing decisions are often at the core of Ensign abuse and neglect cases we litigate.

Types of Ensign Nursing Home Cases We Handle

Bedsores / Pressure Ulcers

Advanced pressure ulcers, including Stage III and Stage IV pressure ulcers, are almost always preventable with proper care. However, without proper care, bedsores can progress to infection, sepsis, and even death. Advanced pressure ulcers often develop due to:

• Failure to reposition immobile residents
• Inadequate wound assessment and documentation
• Delayed or improper treatment of skin breakdown

Bedsores are a clear indicator of neglect—and a frequent basis for elder abuse claims under California law.

Falls and Preventable Injuries

Falls in skilled nursing facilities are not “accidents” when they result from neglect. We pursue claims involving:

• Failure to implement fall prevention plans
• Ignoring known fall risks
• Inadequate supervision or monitoring
• Unsafe environments and understaffing

These cases often involve hip fractures, head injuries, loss of mobility, and wrongful death.

Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse in a nursing home is among the most disturbing forms of elder abuse. We represent survivors and families in Ensign cases involving:

• Sexual assault by staff
• Sexual assault by other residents
• Failure to conduct adequate background checks and prevent known perpetrators from working with vulnerable elders
• Failure to investigate or report abuse

Facilities have a legal duty to protect residents from foreseeable sexual harm—and to act immediately when abuse is suspected.

Resident-on-Resident Assaults

Ensign facilities are responsible when they fail to properly assess, supervise, or separate residents with known aggressive or sexually inappropriate behaviors. These cases often involve:

• Dementia-related aggression
• Physical assaults
• Sexual assaults
• Repeated incidents ignored by staff

Resident-on-resident abuse is not unavoidable when proper care planning and supervision are provided.

Wrongful Death

When neglect or abuse results in death, families deserve answers and accountability. We handle Ensign wrongful death cases involving:

• Untreated infections
• Falls with fatal complications
• Neglect-related malnutrition or dehydration
• Sepsis arising from bedsores
• Delayed medical intervention

Our firm works with medical experts to uncover how and why a death occurred—and who is responsible.

Our Track Record Against Ensign Facilities

Our firm has achieved successful outcomes for clients harmed in Ensign-owned or Ensign-operated skilled nursing facilities, including confidential settlements and courtroom victories. These results are the product of:

• Deep experience litigating elder abuse cases
• Knowledge of Ensign’s corporate structure and operations
• Aggressive discovery to uncover staffing and policy failures
• Willingness to take cases to trial when necessary

We do not accept excuses. We demand accountability.

Why Choose Our Firm for an Ensign Nursing Home Case

• Focused Practice: We concentrate on elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect cases.
• California Expertise: We litigate under California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act.
• Resources to Take on Corporations: We are prepared to confront large nursing home chains and their insurers.
• Compassionate Advocacy: We treat clients and families with respect, dignity, and care.

Ensign facilities have teams of lawyers protecting them. Your loved one deserves the same level of advocacy.

Notable Case Results

Slide 1

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$33,000,000

Settlement in Assisted Living Wrongful Death Case

SGG Law represented the family of an elderly resident who died after suffering injuries caused by elder abuse at an assisted living facility in San Mateo County.

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$30,000,000

Settlement in Assisted Living Elder Abuse Death Case

SGG Law obtained a $30,000,000 settlement in a wrongful death case involving an assisted living facility in Contra Costa County.

The case arose after elder abuse and neglect at the facility caused injuries that ultimately led to a resident’s death.

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$16,500,000

Settlement in Memory Care Fall Wrongful Death Case

SGG Law secured a $16,500,000 settlement in a wrongful death case involving an understaffed memory care unit at an assisted living facility. The resident suffered multiple unwitnessed falls that ultimately led to a fatal hip fracture.

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$4,650,000

Settlement in Fatal Bedsore Neglect Case

SGG Law represented the children of a dependent adult who developed severe pressure ulcers while living at a skilled nursing facility. The resident developed a Stage IV bedsore that became infected and contributed to the resident’s death.

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$3,750,000

Settlement in Memory Care Resident Neglect Case

SGG Law represented the families of residents at a Sonoma County memory care facility who suffered harm after not receiving necessary care during a critical period. The case involved vulnerable residents with dementia who required close supervision and specialized care that the facility failed to provide. The firm secured a $3,750,000 settlement on behalf of the affected families.

Stebner Gertler & Guadagni has recovered tens of millions of dollars for victims of elder abuse and neglect throughout California. See more of our notable case results.

Ensign Skilled Nursing Facilities in California

The Ensign Group owns, operates, or manages numerous skilled nursing facilities throughout California. Our firm investigates and litigates cases involving abuse and neglect at Ensign facilities statewide, including but not limited to the following locations:

• Pacific Gardens Nursing & Rehab – Fresno, CA
• Alamitos Belmont Health and Rehabilitation – Long Beach, CA
• Alamitos West Health & Rehabilitation – Los Alamitos, CA
• Arbor Rehab and Nursing – Lodi, CA
• Arbor Glen Care Center Rehab and Transitional Care – Glendora, CA
• Arroyo Vista Nursing Center – San Diego, CA
• Arrowhead Springs Healthcare – San Bernardino, CA
• Atlantic Memorial Healthcare Center – Long Beach, CA
• Beachside Nursing Center – Huntington Beach, CA
• Broadway by the Sea – Long Beach, CA
• Broadway Villa Post Acute – Sonoma, CA
• Brookfield Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing – Downey, CA
• Brookside Healthcare Center – Redlands, CA
• Camarillo Healthcare Center – Camarillo, CA
• Camino Healthcare – Hawthorne, CA
• Camel Mountain Rehabilitation and Healthcare – San Diego, CA
• Channel Islands Post Acute – Santa Barbara, CA
• Chatsworth Park Health Care Center – Chatsworth, CA
• Cloverdale Healthcare Center – Cloverdale, CA
• Courtyard Healthcare Center – Davis, CA
• Danville Post-Acute Rehab – Danville, CA
• Desert Mountain Care Center – Indio, CA
• Downey Post Acute – Downey, CA
• Edgewater Skilled Nursing Center – Long Beach, CA
• Fairfield Post-Acute Rehab – Fairfield, CA
• Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital – Lodi, CA
• Garden View Post-Acute Rehab – Baldwin Park, CA
• Glenwood Care Center – Oxnard, CA
• Golden Hill Post Acute Care – San Diego, CA
• Grand Terrace Health Care Center – Grand Terrace, CA
• Grossmont Post Acute Care – La Mesa, CA
• Huntington Park Nursing Center – Huntington Park, CA
• Katella Senior Living Community – Los Alamitos, CA
• Lemon Grove Care and Rehabilitation Center – Lemon Grove, CA
• Lexington Assisted Living – Ventura, CA
• Lomita Post-Acute Care Center – Lomita, CA
• Magnolia Post Acute Care – El Cajon, CA
• Miramar Healthcare Center – Santa Barbara, CA
• Mission Care Center – Rosemead, CA
• Mission Hills Post Acute Care – San Diego, CA
• New Orange Hills Post-Acute Care Center – Orange, CA
• Northbrook Healthcare Center – Willits, CA
• Pacific Haven Subacute and Healthcare Center – Garden Grove, CA
• Pacifica Nursing & Rehab Center – Pacifica, CA
• Palm Terrace Care Center – Riverside, CA
• Palm Terrace Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center – Laguna Hills, CA
• Palomar Vista Healthcare Center – Escondido, CA
• Panorama Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center – Panorama City, CA
• Park View Post Acute – Santa Rosa, CA
• Parkside Health and Wellness Center – El Cajon, CA
• Premier Care Center for Palm Springs – Palm Springs, CA
• Ramona Nursing and Rehabilitation – El Monte, CA
• Rose Villa Healthcare Center – Bellflower, CA
• Sea Cliff Healthcare Center – Huntington Beach, CA
• Shoreline Healthcare Center – Long Beach, CA
• Solimar Post Acute – Oxnard, CA
• Somerset Subacute Rehab – El Cajon, CA
• South Bay Post Acute Care – Chula Vista, CA
• Southland Care Center – Norwalk, CA
• St. Catherine Healthcare – Fullerton, CA
• St. Elizabeth Healthcare & Rehab – Fullerton, CA
• Summerfield HealthCare Center – Santa Rosa, CA
• The Cove at La Jolla – La Jolla, CA
• The Grove Care and Wellness – Riverside, CA
• The Hills Post Acute – Santa Ana, CA
• The Orchard Post Acute Care – Whittier, CA
• The Springs at Pacific Regent La Jolla – San Diego, CA
• Toluca Lake Post Acute – North Hollywood, CA
• Turlock Nursing & Rehab – Turlock, CA
• Ukiah Post Acute Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing – Ukiah, CA
• Upland Rehabilitation and Care Center – Upland, CA
• Valley of the Moon Post Acute – Sonoma, CA
• Victoria Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center – Costa Mesa, CA
• Victoria Post Acute Care – El Cajon, CA
• Villa Maria Post Acute – Santa Maria, CA
• Vintage Faire Nursing & Rehab – Modesto, CA
• Vista Knoll Specialized Care Facility – Vista, CA
• Whittier Hills Health Care Center – Whittier, CA

If your loved one was harmed at any Ensign-affiliated facility—even if it is not listed above—we encourage you to contact our firm. Facility names and ownership structures change, but legal responsibility remains.

Client Testimonials and Reviews

Families across California trust Stebner, Gertler & Guadagni to hold negligent facilities accountable.

Free Consultation – Ensign Nursing Home Abuse Cases

If you believe your loved one was abused, neglected, or wrongfully killed in an Ensign skilled nursing facility in California, we can help.

• Free, confidential consultation
• No fee unless we obtain a recovery
• Strict time limits apply under California law

Contact our firm today to speak with an experienced Ensign nursing home abuse attorney.

Justice begins with accountability.