What Are Nursing Home Settlements?
Nursing home settlements are financial agreements reached in lawsuits filed for abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities.
They involve payment from the facility or its insurer to the victim or their family, bringing the nursing home lawsuit to a close without a judge or jury deciding the outcome.
Some nursing home settlements are reached early, while others occur after the trial process has already begun. Once a settlement agreement is made, the case is dismissed.
Nationwide, the average nursing home neglect settlement is around $400,000 for severe harm, but some families receive far more.
In 2024, a Washington family received a $2 million nursing home settlement after their loved one died from severe, untreated bedsores.
Nursing home settlements do not take away the physical and emotional trauma that comes with neglect and abuse. However, they can bring a sense of justice to nursing home residents and families.
A skilled nursing home attorney can help prove that a facility failed to provide proper care and fight for the strongest possible settlement without the need for a lengthy court battle.
The Nursing Home Abuse Center partners with a network of top attorneys who can help seek nursing home settlements no matter where you live.
Our legal partners have recovered over $304 million for harm in nursing homes, assisted living, and other long-term care facilities.
Get a free case review right now to find out if we can connect you to an experienced nursing home lawyer near you.
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Nursing Home Settlements Secured By Our Legal Partners
When residents are seriously harmed by neglect or abuse, nursing home settlements may provide meaningful financial relief for families and help hold the facility accountable.
Our legal partners secured these settlements and verdicts:
- $18.2 million for a woman in Rhode Island who suffered a fatal heart attack
- $2 million for a California woman with dementia who was denied critical care
- $1.75 million on behalf of a Massachusetts man who died in a preventable fire
- $1.5 million for a Minnesota woman with stage 4 pressure ulcers
- $1.18 million for a neglected nursing home patient in Indiana
- $500,000 for a New York resident with diabetes who was not properly monitored
- $600,000 to the family of an Alzheimer’s patient in Massachusetts
- $890,000 for a Kentucky woman harmed by poor care
- $1 million to a California man whose mother died due to nursing home neglect
- $1.11 million to a Florida woman who suffered a heart attack while in care
- $1.35 million for an Alabama resident with an untreated shoulder injury
- $2 million on behalf of a Massachusetts woman who died from a catheter infection
Nursing home lawsuit settlements can vary widely. An experienced attorney can help estimate what your case may be worth and fight for the highest possible compensation.
Call (855) 264-6310 or Click to Live Chat to see if we can connect you with a trusted nursing home lawyer near you.
How Much Is the Average Nursing Home Neglect Settlement?
The average nursing home neglect payout in the United States is about $400,000, according to one study published in the journal Health Affairs. However, you may receive more or less than this amount since every case is unique.
Our legal partners have recovered over $304 million in nursing home settlements and verdicts nationwide.
Every case is unique, so what one family receives may differ greatly from another. Generally, nursing home compensation amounts account for medical costs, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and the long-term impact of poor care.
Average Nursing Home Wrongful Death Settlements
In cases where nursing home neglect results in death, the average nursing home neglect settlement could be higher, especially if evidence shows that a facility’s actions caused the resident’s passing.
Wrongful death nursing home settlements may help families recover costs for funeral expenses, medical bills, and loss of companionship.
Some wrongful death nursing home settlements have reached $2 million or more when serious failures in care were proven. However, the outcome depends on the specifics of each case.
What Affects Nursing Home Settlement Amounts?
Several factors influence nursing home neglect settlement amounts, including the severity of harm, the strength of evidence, and whether the facility has a history of violations.
Cases involving permanent injury or preventable death tend to settle for more.
Learn more about the factors that affect nursing home settlements below.
Type of Nursing Home Lawsuits
There are two main types of nursing home neglect settlement cases: personal injury and wrongful death. In a personal injury case, the resident survives the harm caused by nursing home neglect. In a wrongful death case, the resident dies as a result of that neglect.
Nursing home medical malpractice may play a role in either case type if a doctor, nurse, or other licensed provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care.
Lawsuits against nursing facilities can result in substantial nursing home wrongful death settlement amounts or financial awards for ongoing care, depending on the circumstances.
Strength of Your Case
A defendant may make a low settlement offer — or no offer at all — if they believe you have a poor chance of winning a trial. Working with a top nursing home law firm can help you avoid this.
The best nursing home abuse attorneys can gather the evidence needed to build a strong case.
What Similar Cases Have Settled For
While past settlements can’t predict exact outcomes, they can give a general sense of potential value.
Attorneys often look at similar nursing home neglect settlement cases to guide negotiations. They can use these case values to pursue the maximum settlement offer in your case.
Cases involving untreated infections, falls, or severe bedsores have reached six or even seven figures, depending on the extent of the harm done.
Where the Case Is Filed
The state and county where a lawsuit is filed can impact your nursing home abuse settlement amount.
Some jurisdictions are known to be more favorable to plaintiffs, while others have legal caps on damages. Your legal team will help determine the best venue for your case.
Worried About Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect?
When you're ready to act, here’s what to expect:
1. Spot Red Flags Before It’s Too Late
Look for bedsores, confusion, weight loss, fear, or silence.
- 2. Reach Out to Our Team, Day or Night
Speak with a trained advocate who listens and understands.
- 3. Our Legal Partners File Your Lawsuit
We handle the paperwork and figure out who’s responsible.
- 4. You Get Help — and Money If We Win
Receive financial compensation and get justice.
Benefits of Reaching Nursing Home Settlements
For many victims, reaching a settlement is the best way to resolve lawsuits involving nursing home abuse. This is because nursing home settlements offer many benefits that trial verdicts do not.
Advantages of nursing home settlements include:
- Avoiding the risk and unpredictability of a trial
- Keeping sensitive details of the abuse more private
- Lowering legal costs, as trials are often more expensive
- Resolving the case faster than going through a trial
- Securing payouts without the emotional toll of prolonged litigation
Further, those who rejected settlement offers and went to trial actually got less financial compensation in 61% of personal injury cases, according to a study from the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies.
About 95% of personal injury lawsuits end in a settlement, according to the Law Dictionary.
Depending on the facts of your case, your lawyer will likely recommend settling your nursing home abuse lawsuit out of court.
Who is Eligible to Get Nursing Home Abuse Settlements?
Nursing home settlements are typically awarded to victims or their families when a long-term care facility fails to provide proper care, resulting in serious harm or death.
To be eligible, there must be evidence that the nursing home’s negligence, abuse, or misconduct caused preventable injury or suffering.
Those who may qualify for nursing home settlements include:
- Residents who personally suffered from neglect, abuse, or improper care
- Legal guardians or individuals with power of attorney for an incapacitated resident
- Estate representatives, spouses, or adult children of a resident who passed away
To confirm eligibility, a lawyer will assess both the legal standing of the person filing and the facts of the case to determine if the facility may be held accountable.
Find out if you could be eligible to seek nursing home settlements.
Steps to Seeking Nursing Home Lawsuit Settlements
If you or a loved one was harmed in a long-term care facility, pursuing nursing home settlements can mean getting the long-overdue accountability and financial relief your family deserves.
Understanding how the legal process typically works can help you know what to expect.
1. Get a Free Legal Consultation
The first step is to find out if you may have a case. The fastest way to do so is by getting a free case review from a legal professional experienced in nursing home cases.
We work with a nationwide network of skilled lawyers who have recovered over $304 million for families harmed by long-term care facilities.
A free case evaluation can help determine if the facility may have breached its duty of care and whether you may be eligible for a nursing home settlement.
2. Gather Evidence
If your case qualifies, your attorney will begin collecting evidence to prove that the nursing home failed in its duty of care.
Evidence needed to seek nursing home settlements may include:
- Expert opinions from geriatric or medical professionals
- Incident reports from the facility
- Medical records and care notes showing nursing home negligence
- Photos of injuries, pressure ulcers, or unsanitary conditions
- Witness statements from nursing home staff, visitors, or other residents
Each piece of evidence helps build a strong case by connecting your loved one’s injuries to the nursing facility’s negligence or abuse.
3. File a Nursing Home Lawsuit
Once your case is built, your lawyer will file a formal lawsuit against the nursing home and any staff members or companies responsible. At this point, your legal claim is official, and the process of pursuing financial compensation begins.
4. Negotiate a Settlement
Most nursing home lawsuits are resolved through out-of-court settlements. Your legal team will handle all negotiations and work to secure the highest possible compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other losses.
If a fair settlement offer isn’t made, your attorney may take the case to court. This adds time and complexity, but it may lead to a larger nursing home case verdict.
Some nursing home settlements are reached during trial proceedings before a judge or jury verdict is delivered.
Deadline for Seeking Nursing Home Settlements
If you or a loved one was harmed in a nursing home, it’s important to act quickly. Legal claims are subject to deadlines known as statutes of limitations, which are strict laws that limit how long you have to file a lawsuit.
Most families have 2 or 3 years to take legal action, depending on the state where the abuse or neglect occurred. In some cases, the clock starts when the harm is discovered, but in other cases, it starts when the harm occurred.
Once the deadline passes, you may permanently lose the right to pursue compensation.
A nursing home attorney can explain which deadline applies to your case and help make sure your lawsuit is filed on time.
Get Legal Help to Secure a Nursing Home Settlement
When a nursing home or assisted living facility fails to protect its residents, the harm can be devastating, not just physically, but emotionally and financially. Families deserve answers, and nursing home settlements can help provide them.
A skilled attorney can help you pursue nursing home settlements without having to navigate the legal system alone.
The right nursing home lawyer can:
- Investigate what happened and gather critical evidence
- File a claim against the nursing home and its staff or owners
- Negotiate the highest possible nursing home settlements
- Take your case to trial if a fair settlement isn’t offered
The Nursing Home Abuse Center has legal partners who have secured over $304 million for nursing home cases.
Call (855) 264-6310 right now or get a free consultation to find out if you can connect with one of our trusted partners.
Nursing Home Settlements FAQs
How long does it take to get a settlement from a nursing home?
It can take several months or years to reach a settlement in a nursing home abuse lawsuit.
The timeline for nursing home settlements typically depends on the strength of the case and the negotiation process. Some lawsuits may reach settlements right before or even during a trial.
As your lawsuit progresses, your lawyer will let you know if and when to expect a nursing home settlement.
What is the average settlement for nursing home neglect?
The average nursing home neglect settlement is over $400,000 nationwide for severe harm. That said, nursing home settlements vary from case to case.
Many past settlements have awarded $1 million or more to victims of nursing home abuse and their family members.
Contact our team for a free consultation right now — learn how much money you may be eligible to receive.
How much is a nursing home wrongful death settlement?
Nursing home wrongful death settlements can vary. Depending on the nature of the case, wrongful death settlements may reach a million dollars or more.
For example, a 74-year-old nursing home resident died after being attacked by a younger roommate and suffering serious injuries. The family received $1.3 million in compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit.
An experienced nursing home abuse lawyer can estimate how much money you can expect to receive through a wrongful death settlement.
How much can you sue a nursing home for negligence?
Some families receive settlements or verdicts worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. However, the value of nursing home neglect cases depends on the severity of the harm and other specific factors.
There’s no set amount, but cases involving serious injuries or death tend to result in higher compensation. An experienced attorney can help estimate the potential value of your case.
How successful are nursing home lawsuits?
Success often depends on the strength of the evidence, the severity of the harm, and the skill of the legal team. Many nursing home lawsuits result in settlements before reaching trial.
While not every case results in compensation, families with strong claims and quality legal representation have a significantly better chance of success.
What evidence is needed for a successful nursing home lawsuit?
Building a strong nursing home abuse case takes more than just a personal account of what happened. Attorneys must prove that the facility’s negligence or abuse directly caused harm.
To do this, attorneys rely on critical evidence, such as:
- Care records that detail medications, treatments, and daily routines
- Expert testimonies from medical or elder care professionals
- Facility incident reports documenting accidents, injuries, and staff conduct
- Medical records showing injuries, hospitalizations, or untreated conditions
- Photographs of bedsores, bruises, or unsafe living conditions
- Witness statements from staff, residents, or visitors
Different types of evidence connect the facility’s actions — or lack of action — to the harm a resident suffered. A skilled lawyer will gather and organize these details to build the strongest case possible.
Call us right now at (855) 264-6310 or Click to Live Chat to see if we can connect you to a top lawyer near you.
