Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Chicago

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse in a nursing home can be subtle or overt, leaving residents feeling isolated, fearful, or depressed. Sometimes, staff members inflict harm through verbal threats, bullying, or constant criticism.

Other times, the abuse involves silent treatment or unjustified isolation from social activities, family visits, or external communication. These behaviors may cause mood swings, changes in personality, or sudden withdrawal from normal routines—red flags that often go unnoticed if family members are not closely monitoring their loved one’s emotional well-being.

If you notice unexplained sadness, heightened anxiety, or your loved one becoming unusually distressed around certain caregivers, it’s crucial to take immediate action. Our Chicago nursing home emotional abuse lawyers understand the complexity of these cases and will fight to protect your loved one from further harm. We conduct thorough investigations, interview witnesses, and hold responsible parties accountable for the suffering they have caused.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse in nursing homes is one of the most egregious forms of mistreatment, often involving staff members or even other residents who exploit a victim’s vulnerability. This abuse can manifest as inappropriate touching, assault, or any non-consensual act that violates a resident’s dignity. Physical signs may include unexplained bruising, torn clothing, or sudden changes in behavior, such as fearfulness around certain individuals. However, victims may also remain silent due to shame, confusion, or fear of retaliation.

In these delicate situations, families need an experienced and compassionate legal advocate. Our Chicago nursing home sexual abuse lawyers collaborate with medical professionals, forensic experts, and facility inspectors to gather the evidence needed to pursue justice. We prioritize your loved one’s safety throughout the legal process and work relentlessly to secure the compensation and peace of mind your family deserves.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse can involve hitting, pushing, shaking, or any form of aggressive contact that causes harm or pain. In many cases, overworked or undertrained staff may resort to force to manage residents they perceive as difficult. Physical abuse can also include the misuse of restraints or rough handling during daily care tasks like bathing or moving a resident. Warning signs typically include unexplained bruises, fractures, or recurring hospital visits without a clear explanation from the nursing home staff.

At GWC Law, our Chicago nursing home physical abuse lawyers take an aggressive stance against abusive facilities and caregivers. We investigate staff histories, review medical records, and expose patterns of mistreatment or negligence. Holding perpetrators accountable not only helps compensate victims for their suffering but also protects other residents from enduring similar harm in the future.

Abuse can often go unnoticed, especially when the victim is too frightened or unable to communicate what’s happening. Be on the lookout for:

• Sudden weight loss, dehydration, or malnutrition
• Unexplained bruises, cuts, or bedsores
• Changes in mood, depression, or social withdrawal
• Staff refusing to allow private visits or phone calls
• Unusual financial transactions or missing personal belongings

If you notice any red flags, trust your instincts and take immediate action. Your loved one’s health and safety should always come first.

When you suspect a loved one has experienced nursing home abuse—whether emotional, sexual, or physical—it’s crucial to consult an experienced attorney. At GWC Law, we:

1. Investigate Thoroughly: We gather medical records, eyewitness accounts, staff histories, and facility inspection reports to uncover critical evidence.
2. Calculate Damages: Beyond medical expenses, we consider emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and other losses to determine the full value of your case.
3. Negotiate & Litigate: We engage with insurance companies and facility owners on your behalf, working tirelessly to secure a fair settlement—or taking the case to court if necessary.
4. Provide Compassionate Support: Nursing home abuse takes an enormous emotional toll on families. Our team supports you at every step, keeping you informed and confident in your legal strategy.

Under Illinois and federal regulations, nursing home facilities are legally required to maintain a standard of care that ensures residents’ well-being and dignity. When a facility violates these regulations, our legal system allows victims and their families to seek compensation for:

• Medical bills and ongoing treatment
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and mental anguish
• Wrongful death damages (in cases where abuse led to a loved one’s passing)

By holding negligent or abusive facilities responsible, we can help improve standards of care for all residents.

Nursing home residents have all of the same rights as other citizens, along with additional protections under Illinois and federal law. If you suspect that a loved one is suffering abuse or neglect at the hands of nursing home staff or that his or her rights are being violated, there are three chief legal remedies available to you:

Filing an administrative complaint with the IDPH

The IDPH is responsible for enforcing the law in Illinois nursing homes. The agency licenses these facilities, inspects them at least once per year, and coordinates with the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to assess their eligibility to participate in federal payment reimbursement programs for nursing care. You can report a complaint of nursing home abuse or neglect by calling the IDPH’s Nursing Home Hotline at (800) 252-4343.

If you do, the IDPH’s Bureau of Long-term Care may launch an investigation into your complaint. Depending upon the results of that investigation, the agency can sanction or even shut down nursing homes for violating federal regulations or the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act.

Filing a complaint with a prosecutor

If you believe that your loved one is being criminally neglected or abused in a nursing home, you can contact a prosecutor who has jurisdiction over that facility. The prosecutor may order an investigation and could potentially file charges against staffers or the nursing home if the circumstances warrant it. Convictions may result in fines, incarceration, and even the closure of the nursing home in question.

Filing a civil lawsuit

Finally, you can retain an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer and file a civil lawsuit on behalf of a close family member who is being victimized at a facility. You may then be able to recover economic damages either through a negotiated settlement or a verdict or judgment at trial. In addition to providing compensation for your loved one, a large financial penalty of this nature may discourage the facility and others like it from engaging in similar misconduct, thereby protecting nursing home residents in the future.

These legal remedies are not mutually exclusive. You can pursue all three of these avenues at the same time, and doing so may have a cumulatively beneficial effect. For example, IDPH sanctions or criminal convictions against a facility can be introduced as evidence in a nursing home abuse civil lawsuit.

GWC Injury Lawyers has more than four decades of experience helping families of nursing home residents obtain full and fair compensation for the abuse or neglect they have suffered. If you retain our services, we will immediately begin gathering all the evidence necessary for your claim, including:

• State and local inspection reports for the nursing home, as well as all citations and complaints
• The facility’s invoices, billing procedures, and Medicare payments
• Medical records from healthcare providers
• Relevant nursing home charts and files
• Photographs and video footage of all injuries and negligent conditions
• Expert testimony and analysis of the nursing home’s deviations from the standard of care

Once we have built the strongest case possible, GWC will work to obtain a just settlement from the nursing home’s insurance carrier. If a reasonable offer is not forthcoming, we are more than willing to take the case to trial, unlike so many other firms who rarely, if ever, set foot inside a courtroom. Moreover, as insurance companies across the state can attest, we have proven time and again that we get results.

To learn more about what you can do if you believe a loved one is suffering abuse in a residential nursing facility, contact GWC to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our attorneys.

Like any other type of personal injury claim, it is impossible to know up front how much a nursing home abuse case may be worth because every case is different. Many factors may impact the value of a claim, including legal merit, insurance coverage, the expenses incurred, and the nature and extent of any injuries.

Nevertheless, you may be able to seek recovery for a variety of damages, including both economic and non-economic losses. Economic damages might include medical bills and other expenses associated with the abuse or neglect a nursing home resident has experienced, along with repayment for the cost of care at the nursing home in some cases.

Non-economic damages may include compensation for pain and suffering, emotional or psychological trauma, permanent disability, and diminished enjoyment of life, among other losses.

If a resident dies because of neglect or abuse at a nursing home, his or her surviving family members could pursue a wrongful death action against the responsible parties for lost companionship and funeral expenses.

Finally, punitive damages may be available when a nursing home or its representatives engage in unusually egregious behavior. Illinois law sometimes permits plaintiffs to recover punitive damages in instances of “willful or wanton” misconduct to discourage additional wrongdoing from other parties in similar circumstances. Our attorneys will always work to obtain the maximum punitive compensation possible if the facts of a nursing home neglect or abuse case warrant it.

Reach out to GWC today to learn more about the damages that may be available if you believe that your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse.

It will cost you nothing upfront to hire the nursing home abuse attorneys at GWC because our firm works on a contingency fee basis. Only when GWC recovers compensation for the nursing home abuse your close family member has suffered will we receive reimbursement for our expenses and payment for our services, usually as a percentage of the final verdict or settlement.

GWC never gets paid unless and until our clients get paid, and the more our clients get paid, the more GWC gets paid. This mutually beneficial arrangement gives our firm an incentive to maximize the value of a nursing home abuse case. It also removes any additional worries and expenses at a time when our clients can least afford them so they can focus on what is most important – getting their lives back to normal.

Aside from Chicago, we are proud to represent victims of nursing home abuse in the following communities:

• Aurora
• Champaign
• Joliet
• Rockford
• Schaumburg
• Waukegan

… and all of the neighboring towns and suburbs.

Time is of the essence in nursing home abuse cases—delays can allow more harm to occur or vital evidence to disappear. If you need a nursing home abuse lawyer in Chicago or suspect any form of neglect or abuse in a local facility, contact GWC Law today. Our compassionate attorneys have the resources and experience to stand up for your loved one’s rights and protect them from further harm.

Call us at (312) 999-9999 or complete our online form to schedule a confidential consultation. Let us help you restore safety, dignity, and peace of mind to your family.