California Record
Largest Facility Suicide Wrongful Death Verdict in California History
One of the hardest cases there is to win.
Orange County
Two-Time Trial Lawyer of the Year
Statewide
2020 CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year — Finalist
ABOTA
American Board of Trial Advocates — Board Member
Nursing Home Elopement Lawyer · California

Nursing home elopement is not an accident. A facility that accepts a resident who wanders accepts the duty to keep them safe — and this is the lawyer who holds California's record facility death verdict.

Get Free Case Review Call now · 844-294-6445
Verdicts at Trial
Numerous 8, 7 & 6‑figure jury verdicts
Rejected $450K
Won $11M
at trial
Rejected $150K
Won $5.3M
at trial
Rejected $100K
Won $3M
at trial
Rejected the lowball. Tried the case. Won.
Gavin Long, California wrongful death trial attorney
Verdicts at Trial
Numerous 8, 7 & 6‑figure jury verdicts
Rejected $450K
Won $11M
at trial
Rejected $150K
Won $5.3M
at trial
Rejected $100K
Won $3M
at trial
Rejected the lowball. Tried the case. Won.
OC Trial Lawyer of the Year 2016 & 2020 · ABOTA Member · Record-Setting Verdicts · No Fee Unless HGL Wins · Free Consultation · California's Wrongful Death Advocate · OC Trial Lawyer of the Year 2016 & 2020 · ABOTA Member · Record-Setting Verdicts · No Fee Unless HGL Wins · Free Consultation · California's Wrongful Death Advocate ·
Landmark verdict The largest facility suicide jury verdict in the State of California JURY VERDICT · STATE RECORD THE LARGEST facility suicide jury verdict in the STATE OF CALIFORNIA
The Case That Set the Record

They Offered $450,000.
Gavin Said No.

When a grieving family came to Gavin, the two treatment facilities being sued had offered just $350,000 and $100,000 to settle the loss of their loved one. Their position was calculated and cold: because the death was a suicide, they wagered the case was worth little.

Gavin saw it differently. He believed the death was the direct result of the defendant's negligence — and that the family deserved the truth and full accountability. He rejected the offers outright, took the case to trial, and litigated it aggressively before a jury.

The jury returned a verdict of $11 million — the largest facility suicide wrongful death verdict in California history.

Largest Defense Offer
$450,000
→
Jury Verdict
$11 Million

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique and decided on its own facts.

In Their Words
“
Your hard work, dedication, and passion showed through during this whole process. You were absolutely brilliant. From the bottom of my heart — thank you.
Jan
Family member of a wrongful death client
2020 CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year, Finalist 2020 CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year, Finalist STATE RECOGNITION · CONSUMER ATTORNEYS OF CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA Consumer Attorney of the Year 2020 FINALIST
Gavin Long, wrongful death and catastrophic injury trial attorney
Gavin Long
Trial Attorney · Harrison Gavin Long, APC
About

A Relentless
Advocate for Families

When negligence or misconduct takes a loved one's life, families deserve more than sympathy — they deserve a fighter. HGL won one of the hardest kinds of cases to win — suing someone else for the suicide of another. With decades of trial experience and a record of landmark verdicts, HGL holds the negligent accountable at the highest levels.

His practice is exclusively devoted to wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. He goes to trial. He wins.

Named Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2016 and 2020. Inducted into ABOTA. Recognized by peers, courts, and clients across California as the attorney other attorneys call when they have a wrongful death case.

Multi Million
Dollar
Largest Facility Suicide Verdict in CA
2×
OC Trial Lawyer of the Year (2016 & 2020)
20+
Years of Trial Experience
$0
Fee Unless HGL Win Your Case
Featured

Meet Gavin Long

Watch one of Gavin's actual clients talk about him and what happened in her case which Gavin tried to a jury in Santa Cruz. Gavin also discusses his insight and approach to the case.

A Client's Story · Santa Cruz Jury Trial · 2 Minutes
Nursing Home Elopement & Wandering

Where The Duty Failed

Elopement and wandering deaths are preventable, and they are documented. Harrison Gavin Long holds the largest facility suicide wrongful death verdict in California history, built on the same questions every elopement case turns on: what the facility knew about the resident’s risk, what supervision it promised, and what it actually did on the day the resident walked out.

🧭
Wandering Risk Assessment
Facilities that accept residents with dementia must assess elopement and wandering risk on admission and after any change in condition. Prior exit-seeking, confusion, and past attempts set the level of supervision the facility owes.
📋
Care Plan & Supervision
Once the risk is identified, the care plan has to address it: a secured unit, more frequent checks, a wander-guard bracelet, or one-to-one supervision. A plan that exists only on paper is the case.
🚪
Door Alarms & Wander Systems
Alarms that were disabled, silenced, propped open, or simply ignored. Maintenance logs, alarm reports, and keypad codes show whether the system the facility advertised was actually working.
👥
Understaffing & Night Shifts
Most elopements happen when the floor is short-staffed. Staffing sheets and time records show how many caregivers were actually watching the residents that night.
⏱️
Delayed Search & Notification
Minutes matter once a resident is gone. The time the resident was last seen, when the search began, and when staff called 911 and the family are often the most important facts in the case.
🏥
Psychiatric & Locked Units
Patients on psychiatric holds and residents of locked memory care units are there because they cannot keep themselves safe. When they walk out unseen, the facility failed the reason for their admission.
Nursing Home Elopement

Can You Sue a Nursing Home When a Resident Wanders Off?

Yes. When a nursing home, memory care unit, or assisted living facility accepts a resident with dementia, it accepts the duty to keep that resident from walking out unseen. When a resident leaves unsupervised and dies, the family can hold the facility accountable.

What is nursing home elopement?

Elopement is when a resident who needs supervision leaves a facility without staff knowing. Residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease who wander out face traffic, heat and cold exposure, drowning, and falls. Many of these deaths happen within hours, close to the building.

Can a family sue after an elopement death?

Yes. A facility that knew, or should have known, that a resident was at risk of wandering and failed to supervise or secure that resident can be liable for wrongful death. When the neglect is reckless, California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (Welfare and Institutions Code §15657) adds enhanced remedies, including attorney’s fees and recovery for the pain and suffering the resident endured before death.

Which facilities are covered?

Skilled nursing facilities, assisted living and residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs), memory care units, board and care homes, psychiatric hospitals and locked units, and rehabilitation and post-acute facilities.

What evidence proves an elopement case?

Wandering and elopement risk assessments, the care plan, door alarm and wander-guard records, staffing sheets, the incident report, the time the resident was last seen, and state inspection findings from the California Department of Public Health or Community Care Licensing. We move quickly to preserve them.

How long do we have to file?

Generally two years from the death for a California wrongful death claim, but some claims carry much shorter deadlines: as little as one year against licensed health care providers, and six months for a government claim against a public facility. Call early.

Who handles the case?

Gavin does, personally. He holds the largest facility suicide wrongful death verdict in California history, is a two-time Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. The consultation is free and there is no fee unless HGL wins. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Get Free Case Review Talk to Gavin 24/7 · 844-294-6445
Track Record & Credentials

Proven in Court.
Recognized by Peers.

Jury Verdicts
8, 7 & 6
Figure Jury Verdicts

HGL has earned numerous eight, seven, and six figure jury verdicts throughout his career — results that reflect not just skill, but the willingness to take the hardest cases all the way to trial and win.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique.

Elite Membership · Since 2014
ABOTA
American Board of Trial Advocates

HGL has been a proud member of ABOTA since 2014. ABOTA is one of the most elite trial lawyer organizations in the United States — fewer than 1% of all American lawyers qualify for membership. Admission is by invitation only, requires rigorous vetting, and demands a proven record of jury trials taken to verdict.

◆ Membership by invitation only
◆ Less than 1% of U.S. lawyers qualify
◆ Proven jury trial record required
◆ Member since 2014
Recognition

Honors & Distinctions

2016 & 2020
Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year
Top 1%
ABOTA — fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers qualify
2014–2023
Super Lawyers — California
AV Rated
Martindale-Hubbell Preeminent Rating
Member
Consumer Attorneys of California
Member
Orange County Trial Lawyers Association
State Record
Largest Facility Suicide Jury Verdict in CA
Top Verdict
Daily Journal Top Verdicts — California
Why Choose Us

HGL Goes to Trial.
Others Don't.

  • 01

    Trial-Tested Experience

    Most personal injury firms settle every case. HGL is a trial lawyer who regularly stand before juries — and insurance companies know it. That reputation drives better outcomes, in and out of the courtroom.

  • 02

    Exclusively Wrongful Death & Catastrophic Injury

    HGL doesn't dabble. Our entire practice is focused on the most serious cases — families who have lost someone and deserve the undivided attention of a specialist.

  • 03

    No Fee Unless HGL Wins

    HGL advances all costs and only collect if HGL recovers for your family. You face no financial risk in pursuing justice — that is our promise to every client.

  • 04

    Direct Attorney Access

    You work with the attorney — not a paralegal or case manager. Your case deserves personal attention, and that is exactly what HGL provides.

ABOTA Member
American Board of Trial Advocates
Membership reserved for attorneys who have tried a minimum number of civil jury trials to verdict — a mark of genuine courtroom experience.
Licensed in all California State Courts
Admitted to U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Peer-reviewed AV Preeminent Rating — Martindale-Hubbell
Member, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
Member, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association
Named Super Lawyer — California, multiple years
What to Expect

A Clear Path, From the First Call

Reaching out after a sudden loss is hard. Here is exactly what happens when you contact HGL — no pressure, no obligation, and no fee unless he wins your case.

01

The First Conversation

Call or send a message anytime. You will speak with us directly — not a screener. Tell us what happened in your own words. The consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.

02

Investigation & Case Review

If your case is one HGL can help with, he investigates thoroughly — gathering records, securing evidence, and consulting the right experts to understand exactly what went wrong and who is responsible. You pay nothing for this.

03

We Litigate. You Focus on Family.

HGL handles the filings, the defense lawyers, and the insurance companies so you don't have to. Every case is prepared as if it will be tried to a jury — because that readiness is what drives results.

04

Resolution

Whether your case resolves in a settlement or a verdict, HGL fights for full accountability. And there is no fee unless he wins — his costs and effort are advanced at no risk to your family.

Your Family Deserves
Answers.

The consultation is free. The conversation is confidential. And if HGL takes your case, there is no fee unless HGL wins.

Request a Free Case Review
844-294-6445
844-2WINHGL
Available 24/7 · No charge to speak with us
Gavin@CaliTrialAttorney.Com
Contact

Tell Us
What Happened

Share the details of your loss in confidence. Every inquiry is reviewed personally. HGL will respond within 24 hours — often the same day.

⚠ California wrongful death claims are subject to strict statutes of limitations. In most cases, families have two years from the date of death to file a claim. Do not wait — contact us today to protect your rights.

Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. All information shared is protected by attorney-client privilege and will be kept strictly confidential.