When your loved one moved into a nursing home, they did not give up their dignity, autonomy, or legal protections. The New Jersey Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights guarantees every resident specific rights, including the right to:

• Be offered choices and maintain agency in decisions important to them
• Receive services with reasonable accommodations to individual needs and preferences
• Participate in the planning of their care and services
• Self-administer medications
• Accept or refuse care and treatment and choose their health care providers, including their doctor and pharmacy
• Manage their own personal finances, or be kept informed of their finances if they choose to let someone else manage them
• Refuse to perform work or services for the facility

When a nursing home violates these rights, it may be held accountable under New Jersey law. If you believe your loved one’s rights have been ignored or violated, contact a trusted New Jersey nursing home negligence attorney.

Family members often only recognize abuse or neglect when visible signs are already present. If you notice any of the following during a visit, take them seriously and document what you observe:

• Bedsores or pressure ulcers
• Injuries caused by falls, including broken bones and bruising
• Unexplained injuries
• Rapid weight loss
• Dehydration
• Unsanitary living conditions
• Signs of understaffing, including long waits for assistance and unattended call lights
• Overmedication or inappropriate sedation
• Sudden changes in behavior, mood, or medical condition
• Signs of sexual abuse
• Infections or injuries requiring hospitalization

These signs do not always point to negligence on their own, but they do warrant immediate attention. If something feels wrong, trust that instinct. Contact a trusted New Jersey nursing home negligence attorney to understand if you have a claim.

Yes. In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for nursing home negligence claims is two years from the date the injury occurred or was discovered. Missing this deadline can bar your family from pursuing compensation entirely, regardless of how strong your case may be.

There are limited exceptions that may extend this deadline, including circumstances where the injury was not immediately apparent or where the injured party was incapacitated. A New Jersey nursing home negligence attorney can evaluate whether any exceptions apply to your situation.

Residents and families harmed by nursing home negligence have the right to pursue full compensation. That typically includes economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

• Medical expenses: All past and future medical costs related to your loved one’s injuries, including hospitalization, surgery, wound care, rehabilitation, and ongoing treatment.
• Long-term care costs: If your loved one requires transfer to a higher level of care or in-home nursing services because of the facility’s negligence, those costs may be recoverable.
• Out-of-pocket expenses: Additional costs incurred by the family as a direct result of the facility’s failure to provide adequate care.

Non-Economic Damages

• Pain and suffering: Compensation for the physical pain and limitations caused by your loved one’s injuries. New Jersey places no cap on compensatory damages.
• Emotional distress: Compensation is available for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other psychological injuries that result from neglect or abuse.

Punitive damages are available in cases where a facility’s conduct was especially reckless or egregious. Capped at $350,000 or five times compensatory damages, whichever is greater.

If negligence results in the loss of a life, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim under the New Jersey Wrongful Death Act.