(MENAFN- iCrowdNewsWire)

On November 25, 2025, the nationally recognized elder abuse and nursing home litigation firm of Garcia and Coman filed a class action lawsuit against the California Department of Veterans Affairs, alleging chronic understaffing at the Veterans Home of California. The case was assigned Case No. 25CV028424.

The named, representative plaintiff, Linda Darancette, is bringing the case by and through her Guardian ad Litem Stephanie Patschull, but the proposed class includes approximately 3,000 residents of the Veterans Home of California – West Los Angeles. The core allegation is that CalVet operated the Veterans Home while chronically understaffed, in violation of state law requiring adequate numbers of qualified nursing personnel, thereby depriving residents of their legal rights under the“Patients Bill of Rights”.

Alleged Staffing Violations at the Veterans Home

Specifically, the complaint cites violations of Health & Safety Code §1430(b), §1599.1(a), and Title 22 California Code of Regulations §72527(a)(25). The state-run facility allegedly failed to employ adequate personnel to meet residents' needs.

Staffing reports submitted by the facility to the Department of Public Health and federal regulators were allegedly misleading, as they counted administrators and maintenance personnel rather than only qualified caretakers. The complaint states that the facility also inflated the number of hours by failing to subtract mandatory rest breaks. According to the plaintiff's allegations, CalVet's staffing practices were systemic and ongoing for at least the three years prior to filing.

Scope of the Class Action

The class for the lawsuits consists of all residents who lived at the Veterans Home of California – West Los Angeles during the three years preceding the filing of the lawsuit through the resolution of the claim. Approximately 3,000 residents are believed to have been affected.

Relief and Reforms Sought

The lawsuit seeks to protect residents' statutory rights and improve care conditions at the state-run veterans' facility. Among the relief sought is statutory damages of $500 per violation per day under Health & Safety Code §1430(b), with those fines potentially trebling under Civil Code §3345 due to the age and vulnerability of residents.

The complaint also seeks a permanent injunction requiring the facility to maintain at least 3.94 nursing hours per patient per day, report all unreported incidents of abuse or neglect from the past three years, conduct quarterly confidential resident surveys, and implement new staffing policies and staff training programs approved by the court. It requests attorneys' fees and costs under Code of Civil Procedure § § 1021.5 and 1430(b).

This case is significant as the Veterans Home of California – West Los Angeles is one of the largest state-operated long-term care facilities for veterans. Persistent understaffing could compromise resident safety and dignity for thousands of vulnerable elderly patients.

“All skilled nursing facilities need to properly care for the elderly and infirm adults for whom the industry is paid hundreds of millions of dollars. But in this instance, the failure to properly staff the Veterans Home to care for our heroes who have stood and fought for this great country is absolutely unacceptable. We are honored to join our heroic veterans in this fight to ensure they are cared for properly by the government they so selflessly served,” said attorney Stephen M. Garcia.“Our veterans deserve our ultimate respect and honor, and as the Government is not ensuring that which the veterans deserve, we have filed this lawsuit.”

About Garcia & Coman

Garcia & Coman is a nationally recognized law firm that represents victims of nursing home abuse, neglect, and elder exploitation across the United States. The firm has served as legal counsel in matters leading to more than $3 billion in recovery, including record-setting verdicts and settlements in Elder Abuse claims. They have offices nationwide, including Long Beach, Los Angeles, Louisville, Lexington and New Orleans. For more information about Garcia & Coman and this case, visit .

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Contact Information:

Name: Steve Garcia
Email:...
Job Title: Attorney

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