Nursing home abuse lawyers who pursue full recovery for injured clients and their families.
If a family member has been harmed by abuse or neglect in a Long Beach nursing home, an attorney can help you hold the facility accountable and pursue compensation for the suffering your loved one endured. Our Long Beach, NY nursing home abuse lawyer offers free consultations and handles every nursing home abuse case on a contingency fee basis. Our team at Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP has more than 75 years of combined experience representing victims and families in cases involving institutional negligence.
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Long Beach, NY
Nursing home abuse occurs when a resident is harmed through intentional acts or patterns of neglect by staff, administrators, or other residents within a care facility. The abuse can take many forms, and it is not always immediately visible. Families often discover signs of mistreatment gradually, through unexplained injuries, behavioral changes, or a noticeable decline in their loved one’s condition.
New York law imposes a duty of care on nursing facilities to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of every resident. When a facility breaches that duty, the victim and their family have the right to pursue a civil claim. A nursing home abuse attorney in Long Beach can review the circumstances, obtain facility records, and determine whether legal action is warranted.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse Cases We Handle in Long Beach
Nursing home abuse and neglect take many forms, and the type of harm inflicted shapes both the investigation and the legal strategy. At Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP, we handle cases involving the following types of nursing home misconduct across Long Beach and Nassau County.
- Physical abuse. Hitting, pushing, rough handling, and improper use of physical restraints all constitute physical abuse in a nursing home. Unexplained bruises, fractures, and lacerations are warning signs. We investigate the facility’s staffing records and incident reports to establish a pattern of conduct.
- Emotional and psychological abuse. Verbal threats, intimidation, isolation, and humiliation can cause lasting emotional harm to a vulnerable resident. These cases often require testimony from family members, other residents, and mental health professionals to document the impact.
- Sexual abuse. Any unwanted sexual contact with a nursing home resident constitutes abuse, regardless of the resident’s cognitive state. These cases are among the most serious claims we handle, and they frequently involve both civil and criminal proceedings.
- Financial exploitation. Nursing home staff or other individuals may steal money, forge signatures, or manipulate a resident into changing legal documents. We work with forensic accountants and investigators when financial exploitation is suspected.
- Neglect. Neglect occurs when a facility fails to provide the basic care a resident needs. This includes failures in hygiene, nutrition, hydration, medical treatment, and supervision. Nursing home neglect can be just as harmful as intentional abuse, and it often reflects systemic staffing problems within the facility.
- Medication errors. Administering the wrong medication, the wrong dosage, or failing to administer prescribed medications altogether can cause serious medical complications and death. These errors frequently result from understaffing and inadequate oversight.
- Nursing home bedsores. Pressure ulcers that develop in a care facility almost always indicate a failure to reposition, feed, or hydrate the resident properly. Advanced bedsores can lead to infection, sepsis, and death.
- Wrongful death. When nursing home abuse or neglect leads to a resident’s death, surviving family members can bring a wrongful death claim against the facility and its operators to recover damages.
Why Choose Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP as My Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Long Beach, NY?
Holding Nursing Facilities Accountable in New York
Nursing home abuse cases involve institutional defendants with legal resources and insurance carriers prepared to fight every claim. Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP has the litigation experience to take on these defendants and pursue meaningful results for families affected by abuse and neglect.
Martin Schiowitz has been litigating personal injury and negligence cases against institutional defendants in New York since 1973. He co-founded the firm in 1978 and has spent more than 50 years building a record of multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements. Martin is a peer-selected Super Lawyer in the top 5% of practicing attorneys.
Jeremy Schiowitz handles motions, legal strategy, and complex litigation for the firm and has represented injury victims for over 16 years. His early career on the defense side gives him a clear understanding of how facilities and their carriers build their defense. Jeremy has been named a Super Lawyer every year from 2014 through 2025 and was recognized among the Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
The firm has recovered over $200 million for clients across all practice areas. We serve as your personal injury lawyer in Long Beach, NY and handle every nursing home case on contingency. You pay nothing unless we obtain a recovery.
What Is Important to Understand About a Nursing Home Abuse Case?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Nursing Home Abuse Cases
When a nursing home resident suffers abuse or neglect, the resident and their family may be entitled to compensation in several categories.
- Medical expenses. Treatment for injuries caused by the abuse, including hospitalization, surgeries, wound care, mental health treatment, and rehabilitation.
- Pain and suffering. Victims of nursing home abuse experience significant physical pain and emotional distress. New York law allows recovery for this suffering.
- Loss of quality of life. Abuse and neglect diminish a resident’s dignity, independence, and daily wellbeing. This loss is a compensable category of damages.
- Wrongful death damages. If abuse or neglect causes the resident’s death, the family can pursue damages for lost financial support, funeral costs, and other losses.
- Punitive damages. In cases involving particularly egregious or willful conduct, punitive damages may be available to punish the facility and deter similar behavior.
Establishing liability requires showing that the nursing home owed a duty of care to the resident, that it breached that duty through abuse or negligence, and that the breach caused the resident’s injuries. New York’s comparative negligence standard does not allow a facility to escape responsibility by blaming the victim’s pre-existing health conditions.
What Are Important Aspects of a Nursing Home Abuse Case?
Several factors shape the outcome of a nursing home abuse claim. Addressing them early gives families a stronger foundation for their case.
- Facility records are essential. Incident reports, staffing logs, care plans, medication administration records, and internal communications can reveal a pattern of abuse or neglect. We obtain these records promptly because facilities can alter or destroy documentation.
- Staffing ratios. Understaffed facilities are far more likely to produce instances of abuse and neglect. Low staff-to-resident ratios are a central issue in many of these cases.
- Reporting to state agencies. Families can file a complaint with the New York State Department of Health, which investigates allegations of nursing home abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. A state investigation can produce findings that support a civil claim.
- The statute of limitations. In New York, the general deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit is three years from the date of injury under CPLR § 214. Acting promptly is important because evidence in nursing home cases can be lost or altered.
What Is the Nursing Home Abuse Case Timeline?
Nursing home abuse litigation generally follows a structured process, though the timeline can range from several months to over two years depending on the complexity of the case and the number of defendants.
- Case investigation. We review medical records, facility documentation, photographs, and state inspection reports to evaluate the strength of the claim and identify all responsible parties.
- Demand and pre-litigation negotiation. In some cases, the facility’s insurer will engage in settlement discussions before a lawsuit is filed.
- Filing the lawsuit. If pre-litigation discussions are unsuccessful, we file a complaint in the appropriate New York court.
- Discovery and depositions. Both sides exchange records and take testimony from facility staff, medical professionals, and family members. This phase can last several months and often reveals critical evidence about the facility’s operations and history.
- Resolution. Cases resolve through settlement, mediation, or trial. We prepare every nursing home case for trial because that level of preparation drives the strongest outcomes at every stage of the process.
What Should You Bring to Your Nursing Home Abuse Consultation?
Collecting documentation before your first meeting with a nursing home abuse attorney in Long Beach helps us evaluate your family’s claim more effectively.
- Photographs of any visible injuries on the resident
- Medical records from the nursing home and any outside treatment providers
- The admission agreement and any care plans from the facility
- Names and contact information for staff members involved in the resident’s care
- Any written complaints you have filed with the facility or with state agencies
During the consultation, we will review what happened, discuss whether a claim is viable, and explain the steps we would take on your family’s behalf. There is no cost for this meeting.
What Are Important New York Legal Resources for Nursing Home Abuse Cases?
New York regulates nursing homes through state and federal oversight, and families have several avenues for reporting suspected abuse and finding relevant information.
- The NY Department of Health investigates complaints about nursing home care, including allegations of abuse, neglect, and mistreatment in New York State facilities.
- Medicare Care Compare allows families to search for Medicare-certified nursing homes and compare inspection results, quality ratings, and staffing data.
- The NY nursing home profiles published by the Department of Health provide complaint histories, inspection data, and citation records for every licensed facility in the state.
- The CDC Injury Center publishes data on injuries and violence, including harm sustained in institutional care settings.
- The New York State Legislature publishes the Civil Practice Law and Rules, including filing deadlines and other procedural requirements for personal injury actions in New York.
Reach Out to Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP to Schedule a Consultation
If your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in a Long Beach, NY nursing home, our attorneys are ready to evaluate your case. We handle nursing home abuse claims on a contingency basis, so your family pays nothing unless we recover compensation. Contact us to schedule a free consultation. We are available to meet at a time that is convenient for your family.
Nursing Home Abuse Statistics in Long Beach
Long Beach has an older population than most of Nassau County. Residents 65 and older make up 20.7 percent of the city’s 34,595 people, according to Census Bureau estimates, and many of them will spend time in a skilled nursing facility on the barrier island or in the Oceanside, Rockville Centre, and Lynbrook facilities that serve Long Beach families. The number of people at risk is not small.
Abuse inside those facilities is counted poorly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that most cases go unreported because the victim depends on the person causing the harm, and the New York State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program relies on a small corps of volunteers to visit facilities across the state. A Long Beach nursing home abuse lawyer treats the published figures as a floor, not a ceiling.
- One in ten adults age 60 and older reported emotional, physical, or sexual mistreatment or potential neglect within a single year, according to a CDC fact sheet on elder abuse.
- New York has about 1,500 long-term care facilities housing more than 160,000 residents who are eligible for ombudsman services, according to a State Comptroller audit of the program.
- The state’s ombudsman program operates through 15 regional sponsors and a volunteer corps of more than 400 people who complete a 36-hour certification, per the Office for the Aging.
- Every complaint about a New York nursing home is routed through the Department of Health’s Centralized Complaint Intake Unit, and the public nursing home complaint form is available to any family member.
What Steps Should I Take After Suspecting Nursing Home Abuse in Long Beach?
A family that suspects abuse rarely has proof on the first day. The sequence below is how a nursing home abuse attorney in Long Beach, NY builds that proof while keeping the resident safe.
- Get the resident examined by an outside doctor. A physician who does not work for the facility documents bruises, weight loss, dehydration, fractures, or pressure injuries without any interest in the outcome. That record becomes the medical foundation of the claim.
- Photograph everything. Injuries, the room, the bedding, the call button, and any restraint marks should be photographed with a date stamp. Facility conditions change quickly once a complaint is made.
- Report the concern to the administrator in writing. A dated letter or email creates a record that the facility was on notice. A verbal complaint to a nurse on shift does not.
- File a complaint with the Department of Health. A state investigation can produce a survey report that supports the civil case, and it does not require a lawyer to initiate.
- Call the Long Term Care Ombudsman. The ombudsman can visit the facility, speak with the resident privately, and document what the resident says while the events are fresh.
- Request the resident’s complete chart. Care plans, medication administration records, nursing notes, and incident reports are the evidence that shows what the staff knew and when. A family member holding a health care proxy or power of attorney is entitled to request them.
- Write down names and dates. Which aides were on duty, which shifts had no supervisor, and which staff members the resident fears are details that fade within weeks.
- Talk to other families. Residents on the same unit often share the same aides. A pattern across several residents is stronger evidence than a single incident.
- Do not sign anything from the facility. Incident acknowledgments, arbitration addenda, and discharge paperwork presented after an injury should be reviewed by an attorney first.
- Watch the calendar. The statute of limitations for most negligence claims in New York runs three years, and a wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the death under EPTL § 5-4.1. Investigation takes time, so the clock matters earlier than families expect.
Long Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer FAQs
How much does a nursing home abuse lawyer in Long Beach cost?
Nothing up front. Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP handles these cases on contingency, and the way contingency fees work means the fee is a percentage of the recovery. If there is no recovery, there is no fee. The consultation is free.
Who can bring the claim if my parent has dementia?
A family member holding a valid power of attorney or health care proxy, or a court-appointed guardian, can act on the resident’s behalf. Cognitive impairment does not weaken the claim. It is one of the reasons the facility owed a heightened duty of care.
What if my parent died before we could file?
The claim does not end. The estate’s personal representative can bring a wrongful death action, and the question of who can be sued includes the facility, its operator, and any staffing agency involved.
The facility says my mother fell on her own. Is that a defense?
Not by itself. A resident with a documented fall risk is supposed to have a care plan, bed alarms, and supervision. A fall that happens because those measures were missing is neglect, regardless of who was in the room.
What is the difference between nursing home neglect and medical malpractice?
Neglect is a failure of basic care, such as hydration, hygiene, or supervision. Malpractice involves a treatment decision by a licensed provider that falls below the accepted standard. The distinction between the two and what medical malpractice is affects the deadline and the proof required, and many cases involve both.
What compensation is available?
The three main types of damages are economic losses, such as medical bills, non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering, and in cases of willful conduct, punitive damages. In a wrongful death case, the loss of a parent’s guidance to adult children is also compensable, and valuing that loss is part of the claim.
Can I file a complaint with the state and still sue?
Yes. The Department of Health investigation and the civil lawsuit are separate. A state finding of a deficiency helps the civil case, but a finding of no deficiency does not end it.
How long does a Long Beach nursing home abuse case take?
Most cases resolve in one to three years. The case timeline depends on how quickly records are produced, whether the facility’s insurer negotiates, and whether a trial is needed.
Should I move my parent out of the facility?
If the resident is in immediate danger, yes. If the concern is a pattern rather than an emergency, a Long Beach, NY nursing home abuse attorney can advise on documenting the pattern before a transfer changes the evidence.
My parent signed an arbitration agreement at admission. Does that bar a lawsuit?
Not always. Admission agreements are reviewed for whether the resident had capacity to sign, whether the arbitration clause was optional, and whether it applies to the claim at issue. Many are unenforceable, and each one has to be read.
Important Resources for Long Beach Nursing Home Abuse Cases
Where Nursing Home Abuse Occurs in Long Beach
Long Beach families rely on skilled nursing facilities on the island itself and on a cluster of larger facilities a short drive north in Oceanside, Rockville Centre, and Lynbrook. Abuse and neglect inside those buildings follow predictable patterns. Overnight and weekend shifts carry the lowest staffing and produce the most missed repositioning, missed medications, and unanswered call bells. Memory care units house residents who cannot report what happened to them.
New York publishes nursing home resident rights, including the right to be free from restraints and abuse and the right to see personal medical records, and every Long Beach facility is bound by them. When a family notices a decline that the facility cannot explain, the signs of neglect usually point to one of the settings above. A nursing home abuse lawyer in Long Beach starts the investigation with the staffing records for those shifts.
What Are Important Local Resources for Long Beach Nursing Home Abuse Cases?
The organizations below take reports, advocate for residents, and help families in Long Beach find the right agency.
- The NYS Long Term Care Ombudsman Program investigates and resolves complaints on behalf of nursing home residents statewide. 1-855-582-6769.
- The Nassau County Office for the Aging’s Senior HELP-LINE connects families with county services, including adult protective services. (516) 227-8900.
- The Office for the Aging’s elder abuse program explains how to recognize abuse and where to report it in New York.
Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP does not endorse these organizations, and none of them endorses our firm. They are listed for informational purposes only.
About Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP
Jeremy Schiowitz argued the appellate case that changed how liability is decided in New York City train platform accidents, was named among the 10 Best Attorneys in New York by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys in 2015, and earned his J.D. at Brooklyn Law School in 2003 after a degree in management information systems from Yeshiva University. Martin Schiowitz, a Brooklyn College and New York Law School graduate, is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers. The firm’s premises liability recoveries include results of $1,200,000 and $925,000 against property owners who failed to keep the people in their care safe, and every nursing home consultation is free.
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“I was very pleased with the service. My mother and I was treated with kindness and respect. We dealt with mainly Jeremy, and he was very helpful as well as patient with my mother and I. I highly recommend this law firm.” – Rasheena Graham
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Additional Resources for Long Beach Nursing Home Abuse Cases
- Bedsores Are a Preventable Condition
- Nursing Home Neglect Can Take Many Forms
- A Closer Look at Nursing Home Negligence
- Nursing Home Records in NY Bedsore Claims
- How Punitive Damages Work in NY Injury Cases
Contact Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP
If a parent or spouse has been hurt, neglected, or frightened in a Long Beach nursing home, the facility’s records can be preserved now. A nursing home abuse attorney in Long Beach from our firm will review the facts at no charge and explain whether a claim exists. The fee is contingent on a recovery. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, and our Long Island office in Rockville Centre is fifteen minutes from Long Beach. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
