Kelvin Sanford, acting as personal representative of Addison's estate, filed the federal complaint against the state-operated Texas nursing facility on April 13, 2026, seeking damages for what he characterizes as systemic failures that led to his relative's preventable death. The lawsuit claims Addison, an elderly patient with multiple chronic conditions including cancer and renal impairment, sustained a severe left intertrochanteric femur fracture while under the facility's exclusive custody and control in March and April 2024.
According to the complaint, imaging on March 26, 2024, confirmed Addison had no acute fracture before her transfer to Twilight Home, but by April 8, 2024, she was returned to the hospital in 'significantly deteriorated condition, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and acute medical complications.' The femur fracture was discovered on imaging the next day, but due to her deteriorated state, she was deemed not viable for surgery and died on April 12, 2024, after being transitioned to hospice care.
The estate alleges that Twilight Home staff failed to recognize obvious symptoms of the fracture and argues that 'the nature of the injury is such that it would have produced observable symptoms, including significant pain, immobility, or functional decline, which Defendants failed to timely recognize or respond to.' The complaint characterizes the facility's conduct as reflecting 'systemic failures in monitoring, staffing, training, supervision, and escalation of care, demonstrating a conscious disregard for the safety of residents under their control.'
The case stems from Addison's admission to the facility shortly after the March 26 imaging showed no fractures. The complaint alleges the facility knew Addison 'was vulnerable to injury, required close monitoring, and required immediate escalation of care upon any material change in condition' due to her medical vulnerabilities, but failed to provide adequate assessments, fall-prevention measures, and timely physician notification.
Sanford's attorneys argue the defendants' conduct went beyond negligence, claiming they 'consciously disregarded the risk by failing to take reasonable measures' despite knowledge that Addison faced substantial risk of serious harm. The complaint asserts the delay in treatment 'allowed her condition to worsen significantly, resulting in increased pain, deterioration, and the loss of any meaningful opportunity for timely medical intervention.'
The lawsuit brings five counts including Section 1983 claims for deliberate indifference and failure to protect, violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act for failing to provide disability accommodations, and a state survival claim. The complaint names unknown individual administrators and nursing staff in their individual capacities, along with the facility and an unidentified Texas state agency responsible for its operation.