Suing a Nursing Home

Suing a Nursing Home for Negligence

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When families trust a nursing home facility to care for their loved ones, they expect safety, respect, and professional medical care. Unfortunately, some facilities fall short, and residents suffer from abuse or neglect. If you are considering suing a nursing home for negligence, chances are you’ve seen warning signs: unexplained injuries, poor hygiene, sudden weight loss, or emotional changes. Neglect and abuse can leave residents with severe injuries and emotional trauma.

At Recovery Law Center, we understand the pain families go through when a negligent nursing home fails to provide proper care. For over 29 years, attorney Glenn Honda has represented families in Hawaii facing similar challenges. Our legal team understands the trauma that families face, and we stand ready to pursue legal action against facilities that fail to uphold their duty of care.

Legal Support from Recovery Law Center for Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit

Taking legal action against a nursing home facility is a serious step. Families need an attorney with proven experience, legal knowledge, and compassion to guide them through the process. At Recovery Law Center, we bring decades of hands-on work in elder abuse and nursing home negligence cases to every client we serve.

1. Experienced Representation in Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuits

Attorney Glenn Honda of Recovery Law Center has represented Hawaii families in cases involving nursing home abuse and neglect. His work includes filing nursing home negligence lawsuits, negotiating fair settlements, and bringing claims to trial when needed. This depth of experience means our firm understands both the legal and emotional challenges families face.

2. A Careful and Thorough Legal Process

Our legal team begins with a free consultation and a complimentary review of your legal case. We investigate by examining medical records, interviewing family members and other residents, and gathering documentation that shows a nursing home’s failure to provide adequate care. We build a strong foundation by proving violations of general and medical duty.

3. Skilled Legal Team to Handle Complex Cases

Hiring a nursing home abuse lawyer ensures you have professionals who know how to handle insurance companies, corporate nursing home owners, and medical providers. We take over communication, prepare legal filings, and stand ready to represent you in settlement talks or at trial. Our attorneys are trained in both nursing home litigation and broader personal injury cases, providing clients with a comprehensive range of representation.

4. Committed to Securing Maximum Compensation

Our mission is to recover financial compensation that reflects the true harm caused by a negligent nursing home. This includes damages for medical bills, emotional harm, and wrongful death. Whether through a nursing home abuse settlement or a courtroom verdict, we fight for maximum compensation so families can focus on healing while knowing justice is being served.

Who Can Sue for Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home residents can sue facilities themselves if they are legally and mentally capable. Family members, such as spouses, parents, or adult children, can also sue on behalf of nursing home residents if they hold power of attorney.

Regardless of who files the lawsuit, it’s essential to keep in mind that strict time limits apply to legal cases. Every personal injury lawsuit in Hawaii , including nursing home abuse or neglect claims, must be filed within two years of the original injury or incident. If you wait too long to file, you could lose your right to compensation.

Good Reasons to Sue a Nursing Home

If you suspect any facility of abuse or neglect, discuss your options to sue with a knowledgeable attorney immediately. Look for these warning signs:

Unexplained bruises or lacerations
Untreated or open wounds
Strangulation, burn, bite, or restraint marks
Fall indicators, such as broken glasses
Unexplained changes in behavior
Unusual lack of self-care or self-esteem
General agitation or emotional distress
A decline in communication or responsiveness
Self-soothing behaviors that are out of the ordinary, such as rocking or sucking
Withdrawal from daily activities
New diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases or infections
Abrupt or unexplained changes in bank account balances
Bills for services never rendered
Unexplained withdrawals or missing valuables
Abrupt changes to wills, estate plans, or powers of attorney
Dehydration, malnutrition, or lack of proper medication
Substandard personal hygiene
Bedsores
Unsanitary or inappropriate clothing, linens, or quarters

How Do I File a Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit?

If you know or suspect you have grounds for a nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit in Hawaii, take the following steps to establish a strong foundation for your case:

Speak to your loved one – Before you do anything else, ask your loved one about your concerns privately. Many abuse victims fear speaking up, so trust your gut if anything feels off.
Request corrective measures – If a nursing home is well-run, the administration will want to do everything possible to provide safe and comfortable accommodations. Before resorting to legal action, speak to administrators to see whether they will listen to your concerns and recommend reasonable solutions.
Be observant and take notes – Quality facilities with nothing to hide won’t mind polite visitors showing up unexpectedly or asking questions. Don’t hesitate to respectfully call out unfamiliar practices or document procedures that seem unsafe.
Call the police, if necessary – If you believe your loved one is in imminent danger or being subjected to abuse, don’t wait to take action. Call 911 promptly and, if necessary, remove your loved one from the facility.
File a report with Adult Protective Services – If the nursing home administrators are unwilling to address your concerns, you may want to file a report with Hawaii’s Adult Protective Services (APS) agency .
Contact a nursing home abuse attorney – An experienced lawyer can help you hold negligent nursing home facilities and administrators accountable for their actions.

Elderly man from behind, sitting in armchair, gazing thoughtfully out of a large window at a town beyond.

Types of Nursing Home Neglect

Nursing home abuse takes many forms, including:

Physical abuse occurs when someone intentionally or negligently inflicts harm or bodily injury on a nursing home resident. Common examples include striking, shaking, shoving, pinching, or restraining patients unnecessarily.
Psychological abuse involves inflicting emotional distress or anguish on a resident. Verbal assault, insults, threats, humiliation, intimidation, harassment, and social isolation are types of psychological abuse.
Financial abuse involves illegally taking or misappropriating a patient’s money, property, or assets. Examples include defrauding patients into signing financial agreements and stealing money, jewelry, or other valuables.
Sexual abuse is any non-consensual sexual contact with a resident. This is true whether the contact occurs through force, coercion, or the exploitation of a person’s status.
Neglect happens when a facility or its employees fail to meet a patient’s physical, psychological, or social needs. Victims of neglect may suffer from dehydration, malnutrition, and health problems stemming from a lack of attention to their basic needs.

Proving a Nursing Home Negligence Case

Proving nursing home abuse or neglect can be challenging, especially when it’s just one person’s word against another’s. A skilled lawyer will collect detailed evidence to support your claim. Potential evidence in a nursing home abuse case may include:

Personal notes and observations regarding suspected abuse or neglect
Nursing home or medical records from Medicare or Medicaid
Photographs of visible injuries and unsanitary or unsafe living conditions
Records of previous APS complaints filed against the nursing home
Statements from witnesses, such as other residents, visitors, or employees
Records of past facility inspections, including citations and licensing issues

A nurse calmly explains something to an elderly woman with clasped hands who looks up thoughtfully with a worried expression.

Nursing Home Abuse Settlements and Litigation Outcomes

Most nursing home abuse cases resolve before trial, often through settlements. An experienced nursing home abuse lawyer can negotiate with insurers to secure fair and favorable outcomes. A nursing home abuse settlement saves time, avoids stressful trials, and guarantees payment.

Still, not all offers are fair. If the settlement fails to account for medical bills, funeral expenses, or emotional distress, families may choose to continue with nursing home litigation. At Recovery Law Center, we are fully prepared to go to court if that is what it takes to seek justice.

Our attorneys provide a free legal case review so you understand the strengths of your case. We are committed to helping you hold negligent facilities accountable and protecting the rights of vulnerable residents. Every outcome is different, but with a strong legal team, families improve their chances of recovering fair and just compensation.

Demand Accountability for Abused or Neglected Nursing Home Residents with Recovery Law Center

When a nursing home fails to provide the care your loved one deserves, it’s a violation of trust. Families place their confidence in these facilities to protect, nurture, and support some of the most vulnerable members of our community. When that trust is broken through neglect or negligence, you must take legal action to hold the nursing home accountable and help prevent future harm to others.

If you believe a nursing home’s negligence has caused harm, don’t wait to take the next step and reach out to Recovery Law Center.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a compassionate attorney who can guide you through your options and help you pursue the justice your family deserves.