Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in Illinois

Nursing Home Abuse in Illinois: rights, reports and deadlines

Unexplained bruises, bedsores, repeated falls, sudden weight loss or missing money can be signs that a nursing home resident is being harmed. Families hire a lawyer to find out what happened and seek to hold the facility responsible. A case may involve deliberate abuse, neglect of basic care or medical negligence, and each is proven differently. This page lists 67 attorneys and law firms in Illinois who handle nursing home abuse and neglect matters.

What the Nursing Home Care Act provides

• A clear prohibition. Under the Nursing Home Care Act (210 ILCS 45), no owner, licensee, administrator, employee or agent may abuse or neglect a resident.
• Facility liability. The owner and licensee are liable for intentional or negligent acts or omissions of their employees or agents that injure a resident.
• Fees and costs. If a court finds that a resident's rights under Part 1 of Article II of the Act were violated, the licensee must pay actual damages, costs and attorney's fees.

How to report a problem

• State complaint line. The Department of Public Health takes complaints at 800-252-4343 or online, even without your name.
• Investigation timelines. Abuse or neglect that puts a resident in imminent danger must be investigated within 24 hours; other abuse or neglect complaints within 7 days.
• Resident advocates. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program can be reached through the Department on Aging's Senior HelpLine, 1-800-252-8966.

Deadlines to sue

• Injury claims. Personal injury lawsuits generally must be filed within 2 years.
• Wrongful death. A wrongful death action generally must be filed within 2 years of the death (5 years if the death resulted from violent intentional conduct).
• Doctors, nurses and hospitals. Claims against licensed physicians, dentists, registered nurses or hospitals arising from patient care must generally be filed within 2 years after the injury was or should have been discovered, and no later than 4 years after the act or omission (different rules apply to minors).

The same statewide rules apply in East Peoria, Edwardsville, Waukegan and Marion, so talk to a lawyer early, while records are fresh.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

How to Choose a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Illinois

• Check the license. Every attorney admitted in Illinois can be looked up through the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, together with any public discipline. Do it before the first meeting.
• Ask about nursing home abuse cases specifically. General practice is not the same as a track record in your type of matter: ask how many similar cases the lawyer handled recently and how they ended.
• Know the local rules. Illinois applies modified comparative negligence with a 50 percent bar and requires a physician report with any malpractice complaint. A lawyer who practices here will factor that in from the first consultation.
• Local courts matter. Procedures, filing practice and judges differ from county to county even within Illinois. Ask whether the lawyer regularly appears in the courts that will hear your case.
• Get the fee agreement in writing. Hourly rate, flat fee or contingency, what counts as costs, and what happens if the case ends early — all of it should be on paper before work starts.
• Compare several profiles. 67 nursing home abuse attorneys in Illinois are listed here, with the largest groups in Chicago. Profiles carry direct contacts, so you can reach two or three of them without an intermediary.