The Lund Report recently reported on the $12 million lawsuit that Ross Law filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The lawsuit alleges that severe negligence at a senior living and memory care center, Ackerly at Reed’s Crossing, caused a 71-year-old man to suffer permanent brain damage, which ultimately led to his death. The estate of Larry Pederson is seeking more than $12 million from The Ackerly at Reed’s Crossing and its parent company, Seattle-based Leisure Care.
Pederson moved into The Ackerly on July 2, 2024, with assurances that the facility would manage his complex medication regimen—a critical component of his care. Just three days later, he was found unresponsive and was hospitalized with severe brain damage caused by an apparent seizure. Medical staff found no trace of any of his essential medications in his system, including two powerful anti-seizure drugs: Levetiracetam (Keppra) and Divalproex.
The suit alleges that Pederson never received a single dose of his medications during his first three days at the facility. Even more troubling, staff allegedly failed to perform wellness checks, and no one informed hospital personnel of the missed medications, delaying critical medical care.
Ackerly management reportedly self-disclosed the incident to Oregon’s Adult Protective Services days later, admitting that Pederson’s medications—including Lacosamide and others—were never entered into their medication system. By then, the damage had already been done.
The brain injury Pederson suffered triggered a cascade of devastating effects. The lawsuit describes a heartbreaking decline: physical weakness, cognitive impairment, impaired speech, incontinence, tremors, and a severe loss of independence. He died on February 23, 2025—just eight months after entering the facility.
Portland Personal Injury Attorney Jeremiah Ross, representing Pederson’s estate. Ross contends that the facility’s failure to administer medication as promised directly led to the seizure that caused Pederson’s irreversible injuries and early death.
This case shines a stark light on the dangers vulnerable seniors face when facilities fail to uphold basic standards of care. When families entrust their loved ones to a memory care facility, especially one offering medication management services, they have every right to expect competence, diligence, and above all, safety. Tragically, Larry Pederson received none of those—and needlessly died as a result..
Ross Law continues to advocate for families who suffer when corporate or governmental systems break down, ensuring all that who are responsible are held accountable. If you know a senior citizen or vulnerable person that has been injured, neglected, physically abused, sexually assaulted, or killed due to the failures of a care facility, memory care facility, residential care facility, then please call 503.224.1658 to speak with Ross Law to discuss your options.