Nursing Home Wrongful Death
Neglectful or abusive nursing home staff members may mistreat residents, leading to a preventable death. If you lost a loved one due to neglect or abuse, you may be able to take legal action to seek compensation and hold the facility accountable. See if we may be able to help you pursue justice for a nursing home wrongful death.
Why Take Legal Action?
By filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit, you can seek financial compensation and justice from those who caused you or a loved one harm.
Results Secured
- $2.2 million for a Rhode Island resident who had a heart attack
- $2 million for the family of a California patient with dementia who passed away due to negligence
- $1.5 million for a woman in Minnesota with stage 4 bedsores
Can You Sue a Nursing Home for Wrongful Death?
Yes, you may be able to sue a nursing home for wrongful death if a loved one passed away due to negligence by the facility’s staff members or health care providers.
Nursing home wrongful death lawsuits aim to hold negligent long-term care facilities accountable and seek compensation for a family’s loss.
Compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit can cover:
- Funeral costs
- Hospital bills
- Loss of companionship
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Other damages
While no amount of money can ever erase the pain related to losing a loved one, it can help ease a family’s financial burdens and allow them to move toward healing.
LawFirm.com works with nursing home abuse attorneys who have secured over $304 million for families nationwide.
Get a free case review now to see if one of our trusted legal partners may be able to help your family, too.
Wrongful Death Nursing Home Settlements
Compensation in a nursing home wrongful death lawsuit is awarded through settlements and verdicts. The most common result is an out-of-court settlement, providing families with faster access to money with less stress.
On average, nursing home wrongful death settlements are often worth over $1 million due to the severe nature of these cases and their long-term impact on families.
Nursing home wrongful death payouts secured by our legal partners include:
- $2 million to a California man whose wife with dementia passed away after being denied care
- $1.75 million for a mother whose daughter died due to an Ohio facility’s negligence
- $1 million to the family of a California woman who passed away
- $1.75 million for an elderly man in Massachusetts who died in a fire caused by neglect
- $2 million to a Massachusetts woman who passed away due to an infected catheter
While case values may vary based on individual facts, nursing home attorneys will fight to secure as much compensation as quickly as possible.
Call (888) 726-9160 right now or chat with a case manager to see if a top lawyer may be able to seek nursing home wrongful death settlements for you.
Eligibility for a Nursing Home Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Anyone who suffered damages due to a resident’s passing may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Parties who may qualify to file a nursing home death lawsuit include:
- Surviving family members, like parents, spouses, children, or siblings
- Financial dependents who were affected financially
- The representative of the decedent’s estate
When a resident dies due to nursing home negligence or abuse, a wrongful death lawsuit allows survivors to fight back and seek accountability. Taking legal action is also a powerful way to honor your loved one’s memory.
How to Sue a Nursing Home for Wrongful Death
Nursing home wrongful death lawyers understand the emotional toll of losing a loved one, especially when their death was caused by a facility that was trusted to keep them safe.
With a nursing home lawyer handling the entire legal process, you can focus on spending time with family and healing during this difficult time.
Learn more about the steps involved in suing a nursing home for wrongful death.
1. Get a Free Case Review
LawFirm.com provides free case reviews, allowing you to find out if you qualify to take legal action without any financial risk.
During this process, a case manager will ask questions about what happened and connect you with an experienced nursing home lawyer if you qualify.
2. Collect Evidence of Nursing Home Wrongful Death
Your legal team will gather evidence to prove that your loved one’s death was avoidable and that the long-term care facility is to blame.
Evidence showing wrongful death in a nursing home may include:
- An autopsy report
- Death certificate
- Medical records
- Nursing home incident reports
- Witness statements
Medical experts may be asked to provide testimony explaining how your loved one’s death could have been prevented with proper care.
3. File Your Wrongful Death Nursing Home Lawsuit
Your lawyer will file your wrongful death nursing home lawsuit in the proper court before any legal deadlines. They will ensure your rights are protected and keep you updated on your case every step of the way.
You don’t have to file yourself, saving you extra stress while mourning your loved one.
4. Negotiate Nursing Home Wrongful Death Settlements
Through negotiations with the facility and any other at-fault parties, your attorney will work to secure wrongful death nursing home settlements on your behalf.
However, if a nursing home lawsuit is unable to be settled, your attorney will demand a payout from a wrongful death trial verdict.
Nursing Home Wrongful Death Statutes of Limitations
The amount of time you have to file a lawsuit for nursing home wrongful death depends on the statute of limitations in your state.
In most states, the statute of limitations for nursing home wrongful death cases is 2-3 years from the date on which your family member passed away.
Once this time limit has expired, you won’t be able to take legal action and seek justice for the loss of your loved one again.
For that reason, it’s important to contact a nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible. They can explain the deadline that applies in your case and act quickly to ensure your wrongful death lawsuit is filed in time.
Don’t delay: See if we may be able to connect you with a top lawyer while there’s still time.
Factors That Affect Nursing Home Wrongful Death Settlements
Nursing home wrongful death home settlement amounts vary, depending on factors specific to the resident and the abuse they suffered before their death.
These factors may include:
- Age of the victim
- Health status when they died
- Medical expenses related to injuries from nursing home abuse or neglect
- Number of dependents the resident has and their ages
- Severity of elder abuse or neglect
- State laws
Your attorney will consider these and other factors when determining how much nursing home wrongful death compensation you may be entitled to. They will fight to secure as much money as quickly as possible.
Causes of Wrongful Death in a Nursing Home
In long-term care facilities, the main causes of wrongful death often stem from abuse or neglect. Sadly, wrongful death from elder abuse is all too common in facilities across the country.
Examples of abuse and neglect that can lead to nursing home wrongful death include:
- Depriving a resident of adequate food and water, leading to dehydration or malnutrition
- Engaging in medical malpractice by providing poor medical care or making medication errors
- Failing to treat pressure ulcers, causing stage 3 and stage 4 bedsores and infections like sepsis (blood infection)
- Not cleaning up cluttered areas, causing preventable nursing home falls
- Staffing shortages that result in nursing home patients not getting the attention they need
- Not supervising staff, resulting in physical abuse and fatal nursing home injuries
Many other instances of nursing home neglect can lead to wrongful death, especially if a resident is already frail or in poor health.
Caregivers who suspect a loved one’s passing may have been caused by nursing home negligence should consider contacting an attorney. A lawyer can investigate to get to the bottom of what happened.
Call (888) 726-9160 right now to see if we may be able to connect you with a top lawyer for nursing home wrongful death.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits & Nursing Homes: 2025 Update
In the past year, nursing home wrongful death stories have made headlines, shining a spotlight on unsafe conditions in facilities across the country.
Recent nursing home wrongful death lawsuit developments include:
- Care Initiatives in Iowa has been named in at least 10 wrongful death lawsuits claiming that negligence and substandard care led to patients’ deaths. Whistleblowers have also sued, saying they were fired when they spoke up about safety concerns.
- One lawsuit alleges that Care Initiatives and one of the homes it operates, Centerville Specialty Care, provided inadequate care to a 64-year-old patient who died from complications related to a 4-inch bedsore.
- The daughter of an 88-year-old nursing home resident who died from malnutrition has sued the nursing home in Waco, Texas, where she lived for about 7 years.
- Family members of an elderly resident at Hebrew Home of Greater Washington in Rockland, Maryland, filed a nursing home wrongful death lawsuit after their loved one died from complications of a stage 4 pressure sore.
LawFirm.com has a national network of skilled personal injury lawyers with experience handling nursing home cases.
Our trusted legal partners will thoroughly investigate your nursing home wrongful death claim and fight for the justice you deserve.
Get Help From Nursing Home Wrongful Death Attorneys
Nursing home wrongful death is a preventable tragedy that robs families of precious time they could have spent together.
While a lawsuit can’t bring back a loved one, it can provide families with a sense of closure and allow them to move forward with their lives.
The nursing home law firms in our network have recovered over $304 million for families affected by abuse and neglect.
Our legal partners:
- Can help families in all 50 states
- Have decades of experience fighting back against nursing home neglect
- Never charge any upfront costs or hourly fees
Call (888) 726-9160 right now or get a free case review to see if a top nursing home wrongful death attorney may be able to fight hard for you.
Wrongful Death & Nursing Homes FAQs
Can you sue a nursing home for wrongful death?
Yes, you may be able to sue a nursing home for wrongful death if a resident’s passing was caused by negligence or abuse.
Families can seek financial compensation for:
- Funeral expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Unpaid medical bills
- Other damages
Get a free case review to see if we may be able to help you sue a nursing home for wrongful death.
Who can file a nursing home death lawsuit?
The deceased person’s surviving family members or estate representatives are typically eligible to file a nursing home death suit.
A nursing home abuse attorney can explain the laws that apply to your situation and provide legal advice on how to proceed.
How much is a nursing home wrongful death settlement?
A nursing home wrongful death settlement varies in amount depending on the specific circumstances of each case.
However, some wrongful death cases can award $1 million or more, particularly when a resident’s death is caused by extreme abuse or neglect.
Call (888) 726-9160 now to see if a top lawyer may be able to pursue nursing home wrongful death settlements for you.
Do you need a lawyer for a wrongful death lawsuit for nursing home abuse?
By working with a lawyer for a wrongful death lawsuit for nursing home abuse, you can improve your chances of securing the justice you deserve.
Nursing home wrongful death cases are complicated, and an experienced attorney can ensure the lawsuit is filed correctly while fighting for maximum compensation. They can also handle all the legal work, so families can start the healing process.
How much does a nursing home wrongful death lawyer cost?
At LawFirm.com, there are no upfront costs or hourly fees to work with the nursing home wrongful death lawyers in our network.
Instead, these lawyers get paid by taking a percentage of any compensation they secure for you. If they don’t recover any money, you pay nothing.
Get a free case review to see if we can connect you with a top attorney.
What are the odds of winning a wrongful death lawsuit against a nursing home?
The odds of winning a wrongful death lawsuit against a nursing home vary, but families are more likely to be successful when they work with an experienced attorney.
A nursing home wrongful death lawyer can collect evidence of negligence or intentional actions that caused the death. They can also build a strong lawsuit and file it correctly before any deadlines.
How much can you get if you sue a nursing home?
How much money you may receive from suing a nursing home for abuse or negligence can range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars based on the severity of the victim’s injuries, the negligence involved, and other factors.
In the case of nursing home wrongful death, families may receive extra money for the loss of their loved one and the pain and suffering they endured before their death. Punitive damages may be awarded to punish the nursing home facility.
Call (888) 726-9160 to see if we may be able to help you seek compensation for nursing home wrongful death.
How difficult is it to sue a nursing home for wrongful death?
Working with a skilled attorney can make suing a nursing home for wrongful death much easier and increase your chances of success.
They can help prove negligence, establish that the nursing home had a duty of care, and more.
Julie Rivers is a dedicated eldercare advocate with over 15 years of experience in nursing home neglect and abuse cases. Inspired by her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, she blends legal expertise and personal passion to support victims. An MBA graduate and active Alzheimer’s Association volunteer, Julie fights for better eldercare policies and justice for affected families.
Rae Theodore is a writer and editor with more than 30 years of experience in legal publishing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Pennsylvania State University.
- Iowa Capital Dispatch. (2024, November 20). “Burns, ‘grapefruit-size’ wound and death trigger nursing home lawsuit.” Retrieved from https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/11/20/burns-grapefruit-size-wound-and-death-trigger-nursing-home-lawsuit/.
- National Institute on Aging. (n.d.). “Elder abuse.” Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/elder-abuse.
- Nurse.org. (2025, February 21). “Nursing Home Operator’s Lawsuits Pile Up: 3 Retaliation, 10 Wrongful Death Claims.” Retrieved from https://nurse.org/news/care-initiatives-nursing-home-lawsuits/.
- Sokolove Law. (2025, March 1). “Wrongful Death in Nursing Homes Lawsuit.” Retrieved from https://www.sokolovelaw.com/nursing-home-abuse/wrongful-death/.