Nationwide Nursing Home & Abuse Lawyers
Dedicated legal advocates protecting your loved ones nationwide. When nursing homes break their promise of care, our experienced attorneys fight for the justice your family deserves.
Infections are among the most common—and most dangerous—threats to elderly residents in nursing homes. But infections don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen when wounds go uncleaned, hydration is neglected, or staff miss the early signs of distress. They happen when care plans aren’t followed, when hygiene is rushed, and when corporate ownership prioritizes margins over safety.
At The Higgins Firm, we help families across the country seek answers and justice after their loved ones suffer serious or fatal infections in long-term care. Our team investigates not only the infection itself, but the breakdowns that allowed it to spread, worsen, or go untreated.
Older adults are especially vulnerable to infection due to:
In many cases, nursing home infections don’t present the same way they do in younger adults. Confusion, fatigue, loss of appetite, or a general “not acting like themselves” may be the first and only warning signs. That’s why early recognition, prevention, and intervention are not optional—they’re essential.
| Infection Type | Cause / Risk Factors | Complications |
| Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) | Catheter use, poor hygiene, incontinence | Sepsis, kidney damage, hospitalization |
| Pneumonia / Respiratory Infections | Aspiration, COVID-19, flu, poor oral care | Lung damage, respiratory failure, death |
| Skin Infections (e.g. cellulitis, MRSA) | Untreated wounds, pressure sores, fungal overgrowth | Tissue damage, sepsis, amputation |
| Gastrointestinal Infections (e.g. C. diff, norovirus) | Poor food hygiene, infected staff, slow isolation | Dehydration, organ failure, outbreak spread |
| Sepsis | Result of any unchecked infection | Life-threatening, rapid deterioration |
| Wound Infections | Bedsores, diabetic ulcers, surgical sites | Gangrene, need for debridement or amputation |
Each of these can—and should—be preventable with the right systems in place.
In most cases we handle, the infection was not the only problem—it was the outcome of a long chain of neglect. Common facility-wide failures include:
These aren’t technical oversights. They are actionable legal failures that lead to suffering, disability, and death.
All residents are vulnerable—but some face significantly higher risk and require individualized prevention plans:
In these cases, even minor oversights—like missing a routine dressing change or failing to track fever—can have catastrophic outcomes.
Under the Nursing Home Reform Act and CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) infection control regulations, facilities must:
If these protocols are not followed, the facility may be held liable for neglect, wrongful death, or regulatory violations.
We approach each infection case with both legal and clinical depth. Our process includes:
We build the case not just around the infection—but around why it happened and who failed to stop it.
If your loved one suffered or died from a preventable infection in a nursing home, your family may be entitled to:
We tailor every claim to reflect the full scope of harm—physical, emotional, and financial.
We don’t stop until the truth is uncovered and the responsible parties are held accountable.
If your loved one was hospitalized or passed away due to an infection in a nursing home—and you suspect that it could have been prevented—we’re ready to help. Infections may seem like a medical problem, but they are often a legal one too.
Dedicated legal advocates protecting your loved ones nationwide. When nursing homes break their promise of care, our experienced attorneys fight for the justice your family deserves.