Care Home Negligence Claims
Help for families when a care
home lets someone down
Choosing a care home for someone you love takes trust. When poor care leads to falls, pressure sores, missed medication or worse, your family is entitled to ask what went wrong.
We handle care home negligence claims on a No Win No Fee basis, whether the harm happened in a residential home, a nursing home or a specialist dementia unit, and we start by listening.
Regulated solicitors
Years' experience
No Win No Fee
Can you make a care home negligence claim?
A claim is possible where a care home’s care fell below a reasonable standard and that failure caused avoidable harm: an injury, an illness, a decline that proper care would probably have prevented. Most homes look after their residents well. Where one does not, the law is on the resident’s side.
The person who calls us is usually not the person who was harmed. The resident can claim in their own right if they are able to. If they cannot, because of dementia or another condition affecting mental capacity, a family member can bring the claim for them as a litigation friend. And if your relative has died, the family or their estate may be able to claim on their behalf. Wherever you fit in that picture, we can explain your position in one free conversation.
When poor care becomes negligence
Care homes are required to assess each resident’s risks, plan their care, follow that plan day by day, and call in a GP or emergency help when something changes. Negligence is what the law calls it when those basics are not done and someone is hurt as a result: a fall that a risk assessment should have prevented, a pressure sore that repositioning would have avoided, an infection left until it became sepsis.
Families are usually the first to notice. Unexplained bruises, weight loss, sudden confusion, the same clothes for days. If your instinct says the care is not right, that instinct deserves to be checked against the records, and that is exactly what a claim does.
care homes in England falls short of a Good rating
Of 14,780 care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission, 2,374 are rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate. A poor rating does not prove negligence, and a Good rating does not rule it out. What matters in a claim is what the records show about the care your relative actually received.
Source: CQC ratings data, March 2026 dataset; analysis by CareHomeGuide, May 2026.
Common types of care home negligence claims
These are the failures behind most care home negligence cases we see. If what happened to your relative is not here, it does not mean you cannot claim. Tell us what you noticed.
Falls and unsafe moving
A known falls risk left unsupervised, bed rails or sensors not used, or hoisting done badly, leading to fractures and head injuries.
Pressure sores
Bed sores and pressure ulcers that develop or worsen because repositioning, skin checks or pressure-relieving equipment were neglected.
Medication errors
Doses missed or doubled, the wrong medicine given, or prescriptions not reviewed, causing harm that proper checks would have caught.
Dehydration and malnutrition
Food and fluid intake not monitored, help with eating not given, or weight loss ignored until it caused serious illness.
Infections and sepsis
Wounds, chest and urine infections not spotted or not escalated to a GP or hospital, sometimes until they became life-threatening.
Medical help called too late
A resident clearly unwell, but the GP, 111 or 999 was not contacted when it should have been, and the delay caused harm.
Will complaining make things
worse for them?
Many families wait months before contacting anyone, because the person harmed still lives in the home and they fear making life harder for them. That fear is understandable, and it should never decide whether poor care gets looked at.
You can raise a safeguarding concern with the local council, complain to the home and report to the CQC while a claim is being investigated, and none of it requires your relative to move out. If you do decide a different home is the right choice, the claim carries on regardless. We will talk you through the order to do things in, so your loved one is protected first and the evidence is protected too.
- Put your concerns to the home's manager in writing, and keep a copy
- Contact the local council's adult safeguarding team if you believe they are at risk
- Tell the Care Quality Commission, which regulates every care home in England
- Keep photographs, dates and your own notes; small details often matter later
If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 999. Everything else can follow after they are safe.
- The injury or illness itself, and the pain and distress it caused
- Lost mobility, confidence and independence, including psychological harm
- Extra treatment, equipment or care, including the cost of moving to a better home
- In fatal cases, funeral costs and certain other losses for the family
What care home negligence
compensation covers
Compensation in these claims is about more than an injury. It recognises what poor care takes from a person: their health, their confidence, their independence, sometimes their dignity. It also covers the real costs that follow, for the resident and often for the family members who stepped in.
We will not quote you a figure at the start, because an honest number depends on medical evidence and on your relative’s circumstances. We will explain, early and in plain terms, which losses the law can recognise in your case.
The records that show
what really happened
Care homes are required to document almost everything they do. That paperwork usually decides these claims, and you have the right to see it. We request it for you and have it reviewed by independent experts in nursing and elderly care.
You do not need any of this before you call. Tell us what you noticed, and we take care of the records.
No Win No Fee care home negligence claims
Care fees have already cost many families a great deal, and a claim should not add to that. With a No Win No Fee agreement there is nothing to pay upfront, and if the claim does not succeed, you do not pay for our work, subject to the terms of your agreement.
If the claim succeeds, a success fee agreed with you at the start is deducted from the compensation. You will see it in writing, and have it explained in plain English, before you commit to anything.
You will see the full terms in writing before your claim begins.
Care home negligence claims
your questions answered
The questions families ask us most, answered plainly.
Can you sue a care home for neglect?
Yes. A care home owes every resident a legal duty of care. If the home failed to meet a reasonable standard, through neglect, poor supervision or unsafe practice, and that failure caused injury or illness, the resident or their family may be able to claim compensation. The claim is made against the home’s operator, which is usually insured, rather than against individual carers.
My mum has dementia and can't make the claim herself. Can I do it for her?
Yes. Where a resident lacks the mental capacity to bring a claim, a family member can act for them as a litigation friend, making decisions in their best interests with the court’s oversight. Any compensation belongs to your mum, not to the person running the claim, and is protected for her benefit. We handle the formalities and explain the role before you take it on.
Will making a claim affect my relative's place or care at the home?
This is the worry that keeps most families from calling, and it is taken seriously. A home must not penalise a resident because their family raised concerns, and safeguarding processes exist precisely to protect people in this position. Many claims also relate to a home the resident has already left. Whatever your situation, we will talk through the practicalities honestly before anything is started.
What is the difference between neglect and abuse in a care home?
Neglect is a failure to provide the care a resident needs, such as missed medication, poor hygiene or ignored call bells, without anyone necessarily intending harm. Abuse is deliberate or reckless mistreatment, whether physical, emotional, financial or sexual. Both can lead to a compensation claim and a safeguarding investigation, and abuse may also involve the police. If you are unsure which applies, describe what happened and we will explain where it sits.
Can I claim if my relative died because of care home negligence?
Yes, in many cases. Where negligence contributed to a resident’s death, a claim can usually be brought by the estate, and it can include the suffering before death, funeral costs and, in some circumstances, other losses for the family. If an inquest is held, we can guide you through that too. These cases are handled with particular care, and the first conversation is simply about what happened.
How long do I have to make a care home negligence claim?
Usually three years from the harm, or from when you first connected it to poor care. There is an important exception: where the injured person lacks mental capacity, the three years generally does not start to run, so a claim may still be possible long after the events. In fatal cases, time usually runs from the date of death. Rather than working it out alone, ask us; checking your dates costs nothing.
Tell us what you've noticed
You do not need proof, records or legal wording. Describe what happened in your own words, and a member of our team will call you back to talk it through. If a claim is not the right route, we will say so.
- Free, no-obligation review
- No Win No Fee available
- SRA-regulated solicitors
Check if you can make a claim
Takes less than 60 seconds
Other claims we handle
If something felt wrong, it is worth asking
Families rarely imagine poor care. If you have been carrying a worry about how someone you love was treated, one free and confidential conversation will tell you whether there is a claim, and what your options are either way.
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