This is the most common defense used by corporate care chains on the Peninsula. They will claim a resident’s advanced age or natural frailty caused the injury. We counter this by auditing the facility’s mandatory compliance records. Under California law, facilities must complete a comprehensive fall-risk or skin-integrity assessment upon admission. If the facility failed to implement the specific intervention strategies required by that plan—such as low-bed configurations, floor mats, or scheduled mobility assistance—the injury is legally classified as preventable neglect, not an unavoidable accident.
