Michigan families place enormous trust in nursing homes, and that trust comes with a legal obligation. When a facility fails to protect a resident from abuse or neglect, Michigan law provides a path to hold that facility accountable.
A Michigan nursing home abuse lawyer at Goodman Acker represents families whose loved ones have been harmed by the very people responsible for their care.
Our attorneys handle nursing home negligence and abuse claims in counties across the state, including Wayne, Oakland, Kent, and Macomb. We take these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning your family pays nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
If you suspect that a loved one is being abused or neglected in a Michigan nursing home, call Goodman Acker at 248-861-8100 for a free case review.
How Goodman Acker Helps Families With Nursing Home Abuse Claims in Michigan
Goodman Acker has represented Michigan families in personal injury and negligence cases for over three decades. We bring that same commitment to nursing home abuse and elder neglect claims statewide.
One Team From Start to Finish
Every nursing home abuse case at our firm gets one attorney, one paralegal, and one assistant. Your family gets direct phone numbers and talks to the same people every time, whether your loved one lives in a facility in Oakland County or Kent County.
A Record Built on Real Accountability
Our attorneys have recovered millions for clients in premises liability, medical malpractice, and negligence cases across Michigan.
Proving that a nursing home fell below the standard of care takes detailed knowledge of both state regulations and federal rules, and our team brings that background to every case.
Offices in Southfield, Grand Rapids, and Sterling Heights
We represent families from Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Troy, Warren, and communities statewide.
What Types of Abuse Happen in Michigan Nursing Homes?
Nursing home abuse in Michigan takes many forms, and some are far harder to detect than others. A family member may notice a bruise but completely miss signs of financial exploitation or emotional harm happening behind closed doors.
Michigan facilities have faced enforcement actions for all of the following:
- Physical abuse includes hitting, shoving, rough handling, and using physical or chemical restraints without proper medical authorization
- Emotional and psychological abuse involves verbal threats, intimidation, isolation from other residents, and deliberate humiliation by staff
- Neglect means failing to provide adequate food, water, hygiene, medication, or medical attention to a resident who depends on staff for basic needs
- Financial exploitation occurs when staff, administrators, or others misuse a resident’s money, property, or benefits for personal gain
- Sexual abuse includes any unwanted sexual contact with a resident, regardless of the resident’s cognitive ability to consent
In 2025, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a $4.5 million settlement involving six Detroit-area nursing homes and their ownership companies over allegations of grossly substandard care.
Cases like these show how facility-level failures may grow when oversight breaks down.
What Laws Protect Michigan Nursing Home Residents?
Both Michigan state law and federal law set minimum standards for nursing home care. These laws give residents specific, enforceable rights and create legal consequences when facilities fall short.
Michigan’s Patient Bill of Rights
MCL 333.20201 requires every licensed nursing home in Michigan to adopt and post a written policy describing resident rights. Those protections include:
- The right to receive adequate and appropriate medical care
- The right to be free from mental and physical abuse
- The right to privacy, personal possessions, and private communications
- The right to participate in care planning and treatment decisions
- The right to file complaints without retaliation from the facility
A separate statute, MCL 333.21771, prohibits any licensee, administrator, or employee of a Michigan nursing home from physically, mentally, or emotionally abusing, mistreating, or harmfully neglecting a patient.
Suspected violations of this statute may be reported to LARA, and in cases involving suspected criminal conduct, to law enforcement or the Attorney General.
The Federal Nursing Home Reform Act
The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 1396r, applies to every nursing facility that accepts Medicare or Medicaid funding.
It requires facilities to maintain sufficient staffing, develop individualized care plans, and provide services that support each resident’s highest level of physical and mental well-being. Nearly every nursing home in Michigan falls under these federal requirements.
How Do You File a Nursing Home Abuse Complaint in Michigan?
Filing a complaint with the right Michigan agency depends on who committed the abuse and the nature of the concern. Multiple state agencies handle different aspects of nursing home oversight, and families may need to report to more than one.
Michigan has three primary reporting channels:
- LARA Bureau of Survey and Certification (BSC): Call the complaint hotline at 800-882-6006 or submit an online complaint for concerns about care quality, safety, staffing, or violations of state licensing or federal certification standards
- MDHHS Adult Protective Services (APS): Call 855-444-3911 to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult, particularly when the suspected abuser is not a facility employee
- Attorney General Health Care Fraud Division: Call 800-242-2873 to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation by nursing home staff, or suspected misuse of a resident’s assets or Medicaid benefits
The table below shows which Michigan agency to contact based on the type of concern.
| TYPE OF CONCERN | AGENCY | PHONE NUMBER |
| Care quality, safety, staffing, licensing violations | LARA Bureau of Survey and Certification | 800-882-6006 |
| Abuse or exploitation by non-employees | MDHHS Adult Protective Services | 855-444-3911 |
| Staff abuse, neglect, exploitation, or Medicaid fraud | Attorney General Health Care Fraud Division | 800-242-2873 |
| Resident rights advocacy, quality of life concerns | Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman | 866-485-9393 |
Filing a government complaint and pursuing a civil lawsuit are two separate legal actions. A complaint to LARA triggers a state investigation and may lead to corrective action, sanctions, or license-related consequences for the facility.
A civil lawsuit, filed by a nursing home abuse attorney, pursues financial compensation for the harm your family member suffered. Many families pursue both paths at the same time.
If you have questions about whether to file a complaint, a lawsuit, or both, call Goodman Acker at 248-861-8100.
What Damages May a Michigan Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit Recover?
A Michigan nursing home abuse lawsuit may seek compensation for the full scope of harm the resident and family suffered.
The value of any case depends on the severity of the injuries, the type of abuse, and the strength of the evidence.
Recoverable damages in a Michigan nursing home case may include:
- Medical expenses for treatment tied to injuries caused by the abuse or neglect
- Pain, suffering, emotional harm, and diminished quality of life experienced by the resident
- Funeral and burial costs in cases involving wrongful death
- Costs of transferring the resident to a safer facility
These lawsuits may be classified as either general negligence or medical malpractice, and the classification affects your filing deadline. General negligence claims must be filed within three years.
Medical malpractice claims carry a two-year deadline and require both a notice of intent and an affidavit of merit before the case may move forward.
What Warning Signs Point to Nursing Home Neglect?
Nursing home neglect often develops gradually, and facility staff may try to explain away early signs when families raise concerns. Relatives who visit regularly are in the strongest position to notice patterns that point to a breakdown in care.
Watch for these warning signs during your visits:
- Unexplained weight loss, signs of dehydration, or consistently poor hygiene
- Pressure ulcers, sometimes called bedsores, especially in residents with limited mobility
- Unexplained bruises, cuts, or fractures appearing in various stages of healing
- A resident who seems withdrawn, fearful, or reluctant to speak when certain staff are present
- Medication errors, missed doses, or sudden behavioral changes that may be tied to overmedication
One sign alone may not confirm abuse. But a pattern of these indicators, particularly when staff responses feel dismissive or inconsistent, often suggests a systemic failure.
Documenting what you observe with photos, dates, and written notes strengthens both a regulatory complaint and a potential legal claim.
FAQ for Michigan Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
How do I know if what happened to my family member qualifies as nursing home abuse under Michigan law?
It may qualify if a facility or its staff caused harm through action or a failure to act. MCL 333.21771 defines prohibited conduct broadly to include physical, mental, and emotional abuse, mistreatment, and harmful neglect.
An attorney may review the facts and medical records to help your family determine whether a viable legal claim exists.
Does a Michigan nursing home abuse lawsuit affect the resident’s Medicaid benefits?
Generally no, but a financial recovery may need to be structured carefully to avoid creating issues with benefit eligibility. Your attorney and a qualified financial planner may work together to protect the resident’s ongoing Medicaid status after a settlement or verdict.
What if my family member passed away from injuries caused by nursing home neglect?
Michigan law may allow the personal representative of the resident’s estate to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. The claim may seek compensation for medical costs, the resident’s pain and suffering, funeral expenses, and eligible family losses.
Filing deadlines depend on the underlying claim and estate-related rules, so families should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Are nursing home abuse cases in Michigan hard to prove?
They often require testimony from qualified medical or nursing professionals who may explain how the facility’s care fell below the accepted standard.
Goodman Acker works with these professionals to build a clear picture of what went wrong. LARA investigation reports, internal medical records, and facility staffing data all play a role in building the case.
What if the nursing home asked my family to sign an arbitration agreement?
Many Michigan nursing homes include arbitration clauses in their admissions paperwork. These clauses may restrict your family’s ability to bring a lawsuit in court, though enforceability depends on the specific language, the circumstances of signing, and applicable law.
Having a Michigan elder abuse attorney review an admissions agreement before signing is a practical way to protect your legal options.
Who has the right to file a nursing home abuse claim in Michigan?
The resident may file directly if they are physically and mentally able. When a resident has cognitive or physical limitations, a legal guardian or authorized representative may file on their behalf. In wrongful death cases, the personal representative of the estate typically brings the lawsuit.
Does it cost anything upfront to hire Goodman Acker for a nursing home case?
No. We take nursing home abuse cases on a contingency fee basis, which means your family pays no attorney fees unless the case results in a recovery. Michigan court rules currently cap contingency fees in personal injury and wrongful death matters at one-third of the recovery.
Do I need a lawyer if I already filed a LARA complaint?
A LARA complaint and a civil lawsuit serve different purposes. The complaint triggers a state investigation that may result in corrective action or sanctions against the facility.
A lawsuit pursues financial compensation for the resident and family through a separate civil case. The investigation report from LARA may also serve as evidence in that civil claim.
Talk to a Michigan Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer About Your Family’s Case
Your family placed trust in a facility that may have failed in its most basic obligation. Delay may make a case harder to build as records age and staff turn over. Michigan’s filing deadlines run whether or not your family is ready to act.
Goodman Acker represents families across Michigan from our offices in Southfield, Grand Rapids, and Sterling Heights. Your family pays nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Call 248-861-8100 today to discuss what happened and learn what legal options may be available.
Goodman Acker P.C.
Serving Michigan from Our Southfield Headquarters
Two Towne Square, Suite 444
Southfield, MI 48076
Phone:
248-861-8100
LEGALLY REVIEWED BY BARRY J. GOODMAN
Barry J. Goodman has devoted his professional life to keeping courthouse doors open for victims seeking justice. Always a tireless advocate for his own clients, Goodman sees his responsibility as a Detroit personal injury attorney in a broader sense as well. [ Attorney Bio ]
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