Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Lawyers
Neglect, injury and mistreatment in long-term care facilities.
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect claims in Pennsylvania
Families place a relative in a facility because they need care that cannot be given at home. Pressure sores, repeated falls, dehydration and sudden decline are signs that the care being delivered does not match the care being charged for.
Staffing records, care plans and state inspection reports are usually where the answers are.
Free case review — tell us what happened and we'll take it from there.Why families bring these cases to Munley Law
Munley Law has represented injured people and their families from its Scranton base since 1959. The attorneys listed below handle this type of case, and the results shown are published matters the firm has reported.
“She and everyone I came into contact with in her firm handled my case with the utmost professionalism, as well as true empathy for my situation, while not missing a detail about the facts of the case… She is a great person and an awesome attorney! She will fight for you!”
Signs and causes of neglect
Understaffing
Too few aides to meet turning, toileting and feeding schedules.
Pressure injuries
Bedsores that develop and worsen when repositioning does not happen.
Falls
Unmet fall-risk plans, missing assistance and unsafe transfers.
Medication errors
Missed doses, wrong medication and inappropriate sedation.
Malnutrition and dehydration
Weight loss and decline that appear in the chart before anyone acts.
Abuse
Physical, emotional or financial mistreatment by staff or residents.
Injuries frequently seen in these cases
- Stage three and four pressure ulcers
- Fractured hip and other fall injuries
- Sepsis and untreated infection
- Severe dehydration and malnutrition
- Unexplained bruising and emotional harm
Who may be responsible
Responsibility depends entirely on the facts, and no one can determine it from a web page. These are the parties whose conduct is typically examined.
The facility
Staffing, training, supervision and care planning.
The ownership or management company
Budgeting and staffing decisions made above the facility level.
Individual staff members
Conduct that falls outside the scope of proper care.
Damages that may be recoverable
What a claim may include depends on the injuries, the available insurance and the evidence. Nothing here is a prediction of value.
- Medical treatment already received, from the emergency room through rehabilitation
- Future medical care and therapy a physician expects will be needed
- Wages lost while unable to work, and reduced earning capacity in longer-term cases
- Property damage, out-of-pocket costs and travel to treatment
- Pain, suffering and loss of life's pleasures where the law allows it
Steps that protect a claim
- Get medical attention, even if the injuries seem minor at first
- Report what happened and ask how to obtain a copy of the official report
- Photograph the scene, the vehicles or the hazard, and your visible injuries
- Collect names and phone numbers for anyone who saw what happened
- Keep every bill, record and piece of correspondence in one place
- Be careful giving a recorded statement before you understand your own injuries
Frequently asked questions
What records can a family request?
Residents and their representatives generally have the right to the medical and care records. State inspection surveys for the facility are also public.
Does an arbitration clause in the admission papers control?
Not always. Enforceability depends on how and by whom the agreement was signed, and on the specific language.
What should I do if I suspect abuse right now?
Make sure the resident is safe, document what you see with photographs and dates, and report it to the facility's administrator and the state. Then get advice about the claim.
Question not answered here? Ask Robert — Munley's virtual intake assistant answers common nursing home abuse & neglect questions 24/7.
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This page is general information about this type of case. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Last reviewed 2026-09-01.
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