New York Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect in New York

Over 100,000 New Yorkers reside across the state’s 600 nursing homes, according to the New York Department of Health. Nursing homes are meant to provide a safe, caring environment for senior citizens.

Yet when facilities fail to meet these standards, nursing home abuse or neglect may occur and put the well-being of residents at risk.

Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including:

• Physical abuse: Violence or unnecessary force against a resident can result in injuries and leave them feeling scared or unsafe within the facility.
• Elder neglect: If staff members fail to meet a resident's basic needs, like providing them with proper nutrition or hygiene assistance, it may be considered neglect. This lack of care can lead to physical and mental decline.
• Sexual abuse: Inappropriate sexual contact between a staff member and a resident may result in injuries, infections, and emotional trauma.

Nearly 20% of New York nursing homes have serious deficiencies that may put residents in immediate danger, according to ProPublica. Approximately 74% of the state’s nursing homes have documented infection-related deficiencies.

Our New York nursing home abuse lawyers have the resources and experience necessary to stand up to the facilities responsible for your loved one’s injuries and seek justice on their behalf.

Signs of Abuse in New York Nursing Homes

Recognizing the signs of nursing home abuse is crucial to getting your loved one out of a potentially harmful situation. When you visit them or talk over the phone, you should be aware of any shifts in their physical or emotional state.

Signs of abuse in nursing homes can include:

• Bedsores or pressure ulcers
• Behavioral changes, like acting withdrawn or agitated
• Dehydration or malnutrition
• Poor hygiene and unsanitary living conditions
• Unaddressed medical issues
• Unexplained injuries, like cuts, bruises, or broken bones
• Weight loss

Of all nursing home complaints received by the New York State Department of Health during a single year, 3,947 or 27% involved allegations of resident abuse, mistreatment, or neglect.

If you suspect that your loved one is experiencing nursing home abuse, it's important to take action immediately. You can report the abuse to the facility’s administration, a long-term care ombudsman, or the New York Department of Social Services.

At Sokolove Law, our nursing home neglect attorneys in New York can also help you take steps to protect your family member and hold those responsible for their suffering accountable.

Who Can a New York Nursing Home Lawyer Help?

By getting help from our nursing home abuse lawyers in New York, you may be able to secure the compensation needed to relocate yourself or a loved one to a safer environment that can provide the care you deserve.

You may be able to work with a New York nursing home lawyer if:

• You experienced abuse or neglect at a nursing home or long-term care facility
• You’re the immediate family member or estate representative of an elder abuse victim

If your family member passed away due to suspected nursing home abuse or neglect, you may still be able to take legal action by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility where they lived.

How to File a New York Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit

At Sokolove Law, our attorneys strive to make filing a New York nursing home abuse lawsuit as stress-free as possible. We can handle all of the legal legwork for you, so you can focus on supporting your loved one through this challenging time.

In general, our New York nursing home abuse lawyers can:

• Provide you with a free case review to determine if you may be eligible to take legal action against those responsible for your loved one’s suffering.
• Gather evidence to prove neglect or abuse took place and that the staff or nursing home was responsible. This may include medical records, witness testimony, and more.
• File your nursing home abuse lawsuit in the correct New York court before any legal deadlines pass.
• Negotiate an elder abuse settlement with the defendant(s), which may allow you to receive compensation without going to court.

If a settlement is unable to be reached, our nursing home neglect attorneys in New York are prepared to present your case in court and fight for a verdict on your behalf.

Our Past New York Nursing Home Settlements

We’ve secured more than $327 Million for victims of nursing home abuse and their families nationwide. While the average nursing home abuse settlement is around $400,000, we've recovered much higher payouts for many clients.

Some of our past nursing home abuse settlements and verdicts include:

• $890,000 for a New York woman whose brother was overmedicated, neglected, and abused in nursing home care
• $2 Million to the family of a woman who passed away after her catheter wasn’t changed and became infected
• $850,000 for a nursing home abuse victim in New York who had a heart attack
• $1.5 Million for a nursing home resident with stage 4 bedsores
• $670,000 for a New York woman whose mother passed away from an infection caused by severe bedsores
• $1.35 Million to a patient who sustained a shoulder injury in a care facility

Compensation from a nursing home abuse lawsuit in New York can help pay for your loved one’s transfer to a safer facility, medical bills, funeral expenses, and more.

Nursing home abuse case values will vary depending on the unique details of each case, but our experienced lawyers know how to gather the evidence necessary to maximize compensation.

While there’s never a guarantee of results, our New York elder abuse lawyers will fight hard to get you everything you’re entitled to.

New York Nursing Home Statute of Limitations

In New York, a state law known as the statute of limitations gives families only a limited window of time to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit.

The New York nursing home statute of limitations is 2 years after an injury or 3 years after a loved one’s injury or death, according to CVP §214 and EPTL § 5-4.1.

Once this deadline passes, you won’t be able to take legal action for your loved one's suffering ever again.

Types of New York Nursing Home Lawyers

At Sokolove Law, our New York nursing home lawyers can help injured residents and the families of those harmed by abuse, neglect, or unsafe conditions seek justice.

Nursing homes are meant to provide care, supervision, and a safe living environment. When facilities fail to meet these basic responsibilities, residents can suffer a wide range of serious and sometimes life-threatening injuries.

We can handle cases involving: 

• Physical abuse
• Neglect
• Bedsores or pressure wounds
• Accidental injuries
• Chemical restraints
• Falls
• Infections or sepsis
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Medical malpractice
• Medication errors
• Sexual abuse
• Wrongful deaths

Find out more about the types of cases our New York nursing home injury lawyers may be able to help with.

New York Nursing Home Physical Abuse Lawyer

Physical abuse in nursing homes is far more common than many families realize, with one study finding that approximately 45% of nursing home residents have experienced abuse.

Physical abuse can result in visible injuries like bruises, cuts, or fractures. In some cases, abuse may also cause emotional distress and behavioral changes.

Physical abuse of nursing home residents can include: 

• Hitting
• Improper or excessive use of physical restraints
• Kicking
• Punching
• Rough handling
• Shoving
• Slapping

During a single one-month period, more than 20% of nursing home residents in New York City and its suburbs experienced mistreatment by fellow residents, including verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, according to Annals of Internal Medicine.

If your loved one has unexplained injuries, shows sudden changes in behavior, or seems fearful of staff, contact our New York nursing home physical abuse lawyers. We may be able to help you hold abusive staff or facilities accountable.

New York Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

Neglect occurs when nursing home staff fail to provide basic care to residents, putting them at risk of serious harm. In a survey of more than 2,000 nursing home residents, 95% reported experiencing neglect or witnessing neglect.

When negligence in a nursing home leads to preventable injuries, worsening medical conditions, and unnecessary pain, then a New York nursing home neglect lawyer may be able to help those affected take legal action.

Common signs of neglect may include:

• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Poor hygiene
• Pressure wounds
• Unsanitary living conditions
• Untreated medical issues

Approximately 44% of New York nursing homes fall below the state's own mandatory minimum of 3.5 hours of nursing care per resident per day (NY Public Health Law § 2895-b), which may contribute to nursing home neglect and poor care.

In February 2026, nearly 4 years after the state’s nursing home staffing law took effect, the New York State Department of Health issued their first civil penalties for noncompliance. The delayed enforcement highlights concerns about regulatory lag as residents face potential risks.

By working with a New York nursing home negligence lawyer, you can pursue compensation for your loved one’s medical bills and the cost of transferring them to a facility that can provide the level of care they deserve.

New York Nursing Home Bedsores Lawyer

Nursing home staff are trained to regularly reposition residents to prevent bedsores from forming, and to treat the wounds promptly when they do occur. Without proper care, these sores can worsen quickly and lead to life-threatening infections.

Bedsores or pressure wounds may indicate nursing home neglect, especially when they reach stage 3 or stage 4.

A New York nursing home bedsore lawyer can help families hold negligent facilities accountable for failing to properly care for their loved one.

“Severe bedsores are one of the clearest signs of nursing home neglect. These wounds take time to form and are almost always preventable with routine care.”
– Ricky LeBlanc, Managing Attorney of Sokolove Law

New York Nursing Home Accident Lawyer

When facilities fail to maintain safe environments or provide proper supervision, accidents may occur that cause residents to suffer serious or even fatal injuries.

Nursing home accidents may involve:

• Burns from hot food or liquids
• Choking or aspiration during meals
• Cuts or lacerations from sharp objects or unsafe surroundings
• Elopement (wandering or leaving the facility unsupervised)
• Equipment-related injuries, including wheelchairs, walkers, bed rails, or lifts
• Slips, trips, and falls

An estimated 20,000 to 40,000 nursing home residents with cognitive issues elope each year, according to McKnight’s Senior Living. These residents may wander into traffic, fall, become lost outdoors in extreme temperatures, or encounter water hazards.

At Sokolove Law, our New York nursing home accident lawyers can look into the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s injuries and determine whether the facility’s negligence played a role.

New York Nursing Home Chemical Restraints Lawyer

Chemical restraints are medications used to control a nursing home resident’s behavior rather than to treat a legitimate medical condition, including powerful antipsychotics and sedatives.

More than 1 in 5 nursing home residents are given antipsychotic drugs, often without a clear medical justification, according to the Long-Term Care Community Coalition.

The use of chemical restraints may lead to: 

• Confusion or disorientation
• Falls
• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Loss of mobility
• Respiratory depression

A New York nursing home chemical restraints lawyer can help families investigate whether medications were improperly prescribed or administered and hold facilities accountable for prioritizing their convenience over resident safety.

New York Nursing Home Fall Lawyer

Every year, around half of all nursing home residents experience at least one fall, according to the National Library of Medicine. Falls can result in injuries that may dramatically impact an older adult’s health, independence, and quality of life.

Many nursing home falls are entirely preventable. Facilities are required to assess each resident’s fall risk, flag those who are high risk, and take the appropriate precautions to prevent avoidable harm.

Nursing home falls may occur when:

• Facilities are understaffed
• Residents have to wait too long for help and attempt to move on their own
• Fall risk assessments aren’t completed or updated
• Floors and hallways are cluttered or unsafe
• Medication side effects aren’t monitored, potentially leading to dizziness or weakness
• Mobility aids are broken or ill-fitting
• Residents aren’t properly supervised

Falls in nursing homes can lead to broken bones, head injuries, and even death. Elderly residents who are injured in a fall may experience a loss of mobility and a rapid decline in health.

Our New York nursing home fall lawyers can examine staffing records, care plans, fall risk assessments, incident reports, and medical records to determine whether a facility’s negligence may have played a role in your loved one’s fall.

New York Nursing Home Infection Lawyer

Nursing homes are required to follow strict infection control protocols, including proper catheter care, wound cleaning, and hand hygiene. When facilities fail to meet these standards, residents may be placed in harm’s way.

If an infection goes untreated, residents may develop sepsis, which can lead to organ failure or death. Our New York nursing home sepsis lawyers can help you determine your legal options after a preventable or poorly addressed infection.

New York Nursing Home Malnutrition Lawyer

Malnutrition and dehydration are serious and often overlooked forms of nursing home neglect. When staff fail to provide residents with adequate food, fluids, or assistance during meals, residents can quickly suffer severe health consequences.

Approximately 20% of nursing home residents are malnourished, with rates rising to more than 65% in some facilities, according to Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care.

Our New York nursing home dehydration lawyers can also help in cases where residents are not given enough water or assistance with drinking. Common warning signs of dehydration include dizziness, dry mouth or lips, dark or infrequent urine, fatigue, and confusion.

At Sokolove Law, our New York nursing home malnutrition lawyers know how to investigate whether a facility failed to meet basic care standards or ignored signs that a resident was not receiving proper nutrition or hydration. Let us fight for you.

New York Nursing Home Malpractice Lawyer

Nursing home malpractice occurs when medical professionals provide substandard care that leads to an injury or allows a health condition to worsen. This can include mistakes involving diagnosing, treating, or monitoring residents.

Because many nursing home residents often have complex medical needs, even small errors can quickly result in serious harm.

Medical malpractice in nursing homes may involve:

• Delayed response to medical emergencies
• Failure to diagnose or treat infections
• Improper wound or post-surgical care
• Lack of appropriate medical supervision
• Medication errors
• Mismanagement of chronic conditions

Nursing home malpractice is often linked to understaffing, inadequate training, or poor communication between staff.

A New York nursing home malpractice lawyer can review medical records, treatment notes, staffing logs, and expert opinions to determine whether medical negligence caused harm to a resident.

New York Nursing Home Medication Error Lawyer

Nursing home medication errors, including giving the wrong dose or medication, may have serious and potentially fatal consequences.

During a 3-month period, approximately 90% of residents experienced at least 1 medication error, according to BMC Geriatrics.

Medication errors can happen when staff:

• Administer too much or too little of a prescribed medication
• Dispense a medication intended for another resident
• Fail to monitor residents for adverse reactions or side effects
• Give medications at the wrong time
• Provide expired or improperly stored medications
• Skip or miss scheduled doses

By working with our experienced New York nursing home medication error lawyers, you can get help holding those responsible for your loved one’s suffering accountable.

New York Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Over 70% of elder sexual abuse cases occur in nursing homes, according to Minnesota’s Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care. Sexual abuse in nursing homes may be carried out by staff, visitors, or other residents.

Residents with cognitive impairments, like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, may be at especially high risk because they may have difficulty recognizing or reporting the abuse.

If your loved one begins showing signs of sexual abuse, like emotional changes, unexplained injuries in sensitive areas, or new sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reach out to our New York nursing home sexual abuse lawyers for help.

New York Nursing Home Death Lawyer

While some nursing home residents pass away due to natural causes, others may die as a result of abuse or neglect within a care facility.

Residents who have experienced abuse have a 300% higher risk of death than those who have not, according to Gitnux.

Wrongful deaths in nursing homes may be linked to issues like: 

• Falls
• Improper use of medical equipment
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Medication errors
• Poorly trained staff
• Preventable accidents
• Untreated infections

Our New York nursing home wrongful death lawyers can investigate the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s death and determine whether negligence contributed to their passing.

Those affected may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and the emotional impact of losing a loved one.

Let Our Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in New York Help

At Sokolove Law, our nursing home neglect lawyers in New York have decades of experience supporting those who have suffered abuse at the hands of their caregivers.

Our nursing home abuse law firm has recovered millions on behalf of New York patients and their families. There are no hourly fees or out-of-pocket costs to work with our team.

We’re committed to providing you with the personal attention your case deserves. We have the resources necessary to stand up to large long-term care facilities and make sure your loved one is protected.

Let us fight for the justice you deserve. Call (800) 995-1212 now or fill out our contact form to get a free, no-obligation case review.

New York Nursing Home Ratings

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) evaluates New York nursing homes using a 5-star rating system based on health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures.

In some cases, CMS also designates facilities with chronic issues as Special Focus Facilities (SFFs), which are subject to additional oversight.

New York nursing homes on the SFF list include:

• Grand Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
• Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing
• Waterview Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

Multiple other New York nursing homes have received a 1-star rating and been cited by CMS for resident abuse. Learn more about some of these facilities below.

Buffalo Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation

Buffalo Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, located at 1014 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, is a for-profit facility operated by Centers Health Care.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Treat residents with dignity, as flies were repeatedly observed crawling on the faces, arms, and bodies of cognitively impaired residents who were unable to swat them away — including one resident who was deceased at the time flies were observed landing on their face
• Maintain a clean and sanitary environment, with shower chairs containing fecal matter, soiled briefs left on floors, and soiled linen rooms emitting such strong odors of urine and feces that a staff member stated it smelled like a sewer
• Ensure a resident's post-surgical staples were removed as ordered, leaving them in place for 20 days past the physician's deadline until an orthopedic specialist removed them at an office visit
• Administer a critical antibiotic as ordered to a resident with MRSA, with six doses missed and no physician notified
• Provide enteral tube feedings as ordered, leaving a cognitively intact resident without nutrition for hours while a malfunctioning pump went unreported and unresolved overnight
• Maintain an effective pest control program, with a facility-wide fly infestation documented across three floors and residents reporting flies landing on their food, their bodies, and their faces during meals

The inspection results reflect a facility where some of the most basic obligations of care, including cleanliness, nutrition, wound management, and human dignity, were left unmet for some of their most vulnerable residents.

Hudson Hill Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing

Hudson Hill Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing at 65 Ashburton Avenue in Yonkers is a 315-bed certified facility operated by Infinite Care.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Implement adequate aspiration precautions and swallowing evaluations for a resident with a documented history of dysphagia who potentially choked to death
• Protect residents from misappropriation of property, including the unauthorized taking and depositing of personal checks
• Ensure residents' right to privacy in sending and receiving mail, with staff systematically intercepting financial correspondence facility-wide
• Administer respiratory care in accordance with physician orders, including correct oxygen flow rates and authorized tracheostomy suctioning procedures
• Maintain a pest-free environment, with active roach infestations documented across multiple residential floors

These findings highlight systemic disregard for resident rights and financial autonomy, alongside dangerous gaps in clinical oversight, medication management, and basic environmental safety.

Northern Manhattan Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

Northern Manhattan Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, which is located at 116 East 125th Street in New York City, is a for-profit nursing home with 320 certified beds.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Provide residents and their representatives with a written summary of the baseline care plan within 48 hours of admission, with staff unable to confirm the summaries were distributed or documented as received
• Maintain sufficient nursing staff on weekends and overnight shifts, with multiple units left without assigned nurses or functioning below minimum aide levels
• Ensure residents received all prescribed medications as ordered, including omitting eye drops for a resident with glaucoma and withholding a blood pressure medication without notifying the treating physician
• Keep medication carts locked and attended when nurses leave them unattended in hallways to administer medications in resident rooms
• Maintain food service safety standards, including proper hand hygiene during meal assistance, required facial hair restraints for kitchen staff, and timely removal of expired food items from refrigerators

The cited deficiencies show recurring lapses in staffing consistency, medication administration protocol, and basic infection control practices, pointing to gaps in frontline supervision and accountability across multiple units and shifts.

The Eleanor Nursing Care Center

The Eleanor Nursing Care Center at 419 North Quaker Lane in Hyde Park is a 120-bed, for-profit facility.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Reasonably accommodate a resident's basic needs, including nailing shut a resident's bathroom door and requiring them to walk to a shared shower room to toilet themselves rather than developing a behavioral care plan
• Report a physical altercation between residents that resulted in facial injuries
• Maintain adequate nursing staffing levels facility-wide, with documented shortfalls across multiple units and shifts over an extended period confirmed by payroll data and staff interviews
• Provide required training to newly hired certified nurse aides, including facility orientation, skills competency training, and dementia care instruction, following a months-long leadership vacuum
• Ensure medication error rates remained below the threshold of 5%, with observed errors including the wrong eye drop, wrong aspirin formulation, and incorrect medication doses
• Properly store and secure medications, with unlocked medication rooms, unsecured narcotics cabinets, expired drugs in carts, and mislabeled eye drops across multiple units
• Implement and document key infection control practices, including a legionella water management plan, appropriate barrier precautions during wound care, and hand hygiene compliance during medication administration

The breadth and density of these findings reflect a facility in the midst of significant leadership instability that left foundational systems of clinical oversight, staff training, resident rights, and environmental safety without consistent stewardship.

Van Rensselaer Manor

Van Rensselaer Manor at 85 Bloomingrove Drive in Troy is operated by the county and contains 362 certified beds.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Protect a resident from nursing home neglect after a staff member disregarded a documented dietary care plan and served an incorrect food consistency, causing the resident to choke and require emergency intervention
• Report an injury of unknown origin to a resident's eye within the required regulatory timeframe, delaying state notification by more than a week
• Implement a resident's care plan requiring 2-person assistance for incontinence care and bed mobility, putting a cognitively impaired and fully dependent resident at risk
• Maintain written infection control policies covering transmission-based precautions, including contact, airborne, droplet, and enhanced barrier protocols

The inspection results reveal compounding failures across resident safety, abuse prevention, regulatory reporting, and infection control, highlighting breakdowns not only in frontline care practices, but also in the administrative and oversight systems.

These are not the only New York nursing homes known for poor conditions or potential wrongdoing.

New York Nursing Home Lawyer FAQs