The lawsuit, filed by attorney John Gomez on behalf of the Radabaugh family, details a history of oversight that allegedly paved the way for the July 23, 2026, tragedy. Ryan, who was nonverbal and had a tendency to lie on warm surfaces, was struck by a vehicle driven by a staff member less than 20 minutes after arriving at the program. The complaint argues that the facility failed to implement necessary safety barriers or staffing protocols despite a nearly identical incident occurring 13 months earlier, when another client was found unsupervised in the same parking area.

Bruce Radabaugh, Ryan's father, stated that the facility accepted a duty of care for his son that it ultimately failed to uphold. The legal action asserts claims of negligence, wrongful death, and dependent adult neglect, naming the facility, its administrators, and the employee involved in the collision as defendants. As the case moves toward the San Diego County Superior Court, the family seeks accountability for what they describe as a preventable death, questioning why no substantive measures were taken to secure the parking lot following the previous warning.