NURSING HOME ABUSE & NEGLECT ATTORNEYS
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
- Last Modified:
- May 9, 2025
Nursing home abuse refers to the physical abuse or emotional abuse of the elderly and other vulnerable adults that takes place in residential, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities. It is also sometimes referred to as institutional elder abuse, and in the worst cases, can result in the wrongful death of the patient. Caring for elderly family members is one of our most sacred duties as a society, yet many nursing home residents suffer personal injury and mistreatment from the very care facilities we entrust with their proper care.
If a loved one has been injured due to nursing home abuse or neglect, get help from a lawyer at Brown & Crouppen Law Firm. Request a free case evaluation by calling (888) 803-2581 or find out if you have a case online. Our nursing home abuse lawyers have helped recover millions in compensation for our clients and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs or fees – we only get paid if you win.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
The most common forms of elder abuse that our nursing home abuse attorneys see are:
- Physical abuse – the infliction of physical pain which may result in bruising, scars, or other forms of abuse.
- Psychological / Emotional abuse – demeaning statements, harassment, threats, humiliation, or intimidation by staff members that result in the patient experiencing anxiety, depression, or mood changes.
- Sexual abuse – unwanted or nonconsensual sexual contact (through force or trickery) by a staff member, resident, or nursing home visitor.
- Financial abuse – The misappropriation or misallocation of financial resources by caregivers, other family members, strangers, or means to control an individual to facilitate other forms of abuse.
- Nursing home neglect – occurs when patients are repeatedly ignored or experience a poor level of care. This can include the neglect of personal hygiene, providing inadequate portions of food and water, and failure to provide patients with required medication (medication errors).
Nursing home abuse cases are often referred to as “the hidden crime” for several reasons: it is often difficult to recognize, it can be concealed by nursing home staff, and the victims may be too frightened or incapacitated to communicate the neglect.
Our personal injury lawyers can help prove negligence and damages to recover financial compensation for damages.
Common Injuries for Nursing Home Abuse Victims
- Bedsores – injuries to the skin and underlying tissue caused primarily from lack of attention and improper medical care.
- Injuries from Falls – injuries that can lead to broken bones, disability, functional decline, reduced independence, and reduced quality of life.
- Medication errors – improper dispensing of medicine to patients that causes harm.
- Choking – due to improper monitoring of patients or improper care that results in choking.
- Elopement – failure to supervise patients with a debilitating mental illness that results in the patient leaving a facility without notice.
Warning Signs of Elder Abuse & Nursing Home Negligence
Many nursing home abuse cases can be identified through a few common warning signs. It is critical that loved ones distinguish between these signs of nursing home abuse and ordinary signs of old age or dementia commonly found among nursing home or assisted living facility residents.
The following are common signs of nursing home abuse:
- Bedsores
- Emotional withdrawal
- Silence around nursing home staff
- Bruises or bleeding
- Unexplained illness, disease, or infection
- Dehydration, malnutrition, or unexplained weight loss
- Physical pain or discomfort
- Unexplained financial hardship or unpaid bills
- Sudden changes in power of attorney or to the loved one’s will
Get started with a free consultation with one of our skilled Personal Injury Lawyers today.
Get a Free Case Evaluation from a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney at Brown & Crouppen
At Brown & Crouppen, all of our attorneys share the same goal – to get justice for people who have been injured. If a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of nursing home abuse in St. Louis, Kansas City, or surrounding areas, get help from a lawyer at Brown & Crouppen Law Firm. Since 1979, our lawyers have recovered over $1 billion for clients, including settlements and verdicts from nursing home abuse cases.
Getting started with your case is easy. Call us at 888-803-2581 for a free consultation, or find out if you have a case online. And remember, there’s no upfront cost to you — if you don’t get paid, we don’t get paid.
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Hours:
Monday – Sunday: Open 24 hours
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a claim?
The Missouri statute of limitations for nursing home abuse is generally two years from the date of the injury. If the case stems from a failure of the nursing home to inform you or your loved one of a test result, the statute of limitations begins to run on the date the injury is or should reasonably have been discovered. However, the suit cannot be filed later than 10 years after the date of the injury.
How much is my case worth?
The average settlement for nursing home abuse and neglect overall is approximately $248,000. However, this is not representative of your case, and settlement amounts will vary due to many factors that are unique to your case.
What types of damages can I recover?
Economic damages: Economic damages are compensation for monetary losses you can prove with documentation. Monetary losses from nursing home abuse may include medical expenses (such as surgery), costs associated with moving to a safe facility, psychological counseling, assistive devices, lost wages of intervening family members, and the value of real or personal property that was stolen, lost, or destroyed.
Non-Economic damages: Non-economic damages are compensation for harder-to-value, subjective losses, including: Pain, Suffering, Emotional distress, Loss of bodily functions, humiliation, inconvenience. Missouri limits the non-economic damages you can recover and adjusts the limit by inflation annually. In 2023, the non-economic damages limit is $457,749 unless the injuries qualify as catastrophic. Catastrophic injuries are defined as one of the following:
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
- The loss of at least two limbs
- Significant, permanent cognitive impairment
- Irreversible organ failure
- Significant vision loss
If you or your loved one has experienced nursing home abuse or neglect that has resulted in a catastrophic injury, you can recover as much as $801,061 in non-economic damages in 2023.
Punitive damages: Are damages that are occasionally awarded to punish the defendant. In Missouri medical malpractice claims, you must prove the defendant deliberately or maliciously inflicted the injury to receive punitive damages. This is often provable in nursing home abuse cases.
Wrongful death: When nursing home abuse and neglect tragically result in the death of a family member, your family may be entitled to recover substantial compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit. Wrongful death damages burial expenses, pain & suffering of the deceased, loss of companionship, loss of guidance, emotional support counsel, medical expenses of the deceased, lost income of the deceased, and punitive damages.
Who is liable for nursing home abuse?
Nursing home abuse is a form of medical malpractice, which occurs when a health care provider causes harm by failing to provide a reasonable standard of care.
Nursing homes in Missouri have a legal duty to protect residents from harm. Consequently, nursing homes are responsible for any abuse a resident experiences, regardless of whether the perpetrator is a staff member. In a nursing home abuse lawsuit, an individual perpetrator, such as a doctor or nurse, may also be named.
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- Last Modified:
- May 9, 2025
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