Villasenor

BACKGROUND

Palm Terrace is a long-term care facility. Villasenor’s father died in March 2017,

allegedly as the result of Palm Terrace’s negligent care. In 2017, Villasenor filed a

lawsuit against Palm Terrace based on the alleged wrongful death of his father.

Villasenor’s father had been discharged from the facility in August 2016. Villasenor

alleged that Palm Terrace failed to prevent his father from developing pressure sores and

did not properly treat the pressure sores that developed, causing his father’s eventual

death.

In July 2020, Palm Terrace moved for summary judgment on the ground that there

was no disputed issue of fact as to whether Palm Terrace’s care caused Villasenor’s

father’s death. Palm Terrace also filed an additional motion for summary judgment on a

different ground, arguing that there was not a disputed issue of fact as to whether Palm

Terrace breached the standard of care. That motion is not included in the record on

appeal and is not the subject of this appeal. Palm Terrace supported the motion on the

issue of causation with the declaration of Andrew S. Wachtel, M.D., a medical doctor

board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases,…