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Bedsore & Nursing Home Neglect Attorney | Pennsylvania & New Jersey

You Trusted Them With Your Mother. They Let Her Develop a Stage-4 Bedsore.

A bedsore that reaches the bone doesn't appear on its own. It forms when a nursing home fails to turn, clean, and care for your loved one, sometimes for days, weeks, or months at a time. Attorney Brian P. Murphy has spent 20+ years holding Pennsylvania and New Jersey nursing homes accountable for exactly this kind of neglect.

No Fee Unless We Win
20+ Years, Exclusively Nursing Home Cases
PA & NJ Licensed
You Work Directly With Brian
Attorney Brian P. Murphy

The Hospital Told You What the Nursing Home Wouldn't.

Most families don't find out about a bedsore from the nursing home. They find out in the ER, after a fall, an infection, or a sudden decline. An emergency room doctor lifts the gown, and there it sits. A wound the size of a baseball. Down to the bone. No one at the nursing home ever said a word.

A hospice nurse told you. Or you lifted the sheet during a visit and saw the wound yourself. The funeral home called.

You already know something went terribly wrong. You aren't imagining anything. And you aren't overreacting.

A stage-3 or stage-4 bedsore remains one of the clearest signs of nursing home neglect. The federal government classifies hospital-acquired bedsores as "never events," injuries that should never occur with proper care. When these wounds develop in a nursing home, the cause is almost always the same: Someone wasn't turned every two hours, someone was left lying in soiled briefs, and someone looked the other way.

Caring for an elderly loved one

"They Said It Didn't Happen Here."

If any of this sounds familiar, you likely have a case:

The nursing home never told you about the wound. You found out at the hospital, from hospice, or during a visit.
Staff called the wound a "little rash" or "skin irritation," but a doctor later identified a stage-3 or stage-4 pressure ulcer.
They blamed the hospital. Or they blamed your loved one.
You noticed a foul smell before you ever saw the wound.
Your loved one was sent to the ER for "something else," and the bedsore surfaced there.
The facility told you bedsores are "part of aging" or "unavoidable at end of life."
Your loved one developed sepsis, osteomyelitis, or another life-threatening infection from the wound.
The wound appeared suddenly after weeks or months without any mention in progress notes.

Nursing homes that hide bedsores often falsify turning logs and medical records to cover their tracks. Brian Murphy knows where to look, what to request, and how to expose the truth, because he has done this for more than two decades.

Bedsores Do Not Happen on Their Own. Neglect Causes Them.

You have likely heard that bedsores are inevitable in elderly patients. Nursing homes want you to believe this. Here is the medical reality:

Bedsores develop when staff fails to reposition a patient on a regular schedule, typically every two hours. When nursing home staff skip turns, leave residents sitting in soiled briefs, fails to provide adequate nutrition, or withholds proper pressure-relieving equipment, skin begins to break down. Left untreated, the wound advances through stages: from redness, to an open sore, to exposed muscle, and finally to a crater reaching the bone.

A stage-4 bedsore doesn't develop overnight. Sustained, repeated neglect over weeks or months produces wounds of this severity. When a wound reaches that depth, multiple caregivers, across multiple shifts, failed to provide basic care. This isn't bad luck. This is a pattern.

"Kennedy Ulcers" and End-of-Life Skin Changes

Some people will tell you about "Kennedy ulcers" or "skin changes at life's end," suggesting bedsores are simply part of dying.

End-of-life skin changes do exist. They look distinctly different from neglect-driven pressure ulcers. Brian Murphy works with medical experts who differentiate between the two, and who prove the distinction in court.

Attorney Brian P. Murphy outside courthouse

20+ Years. One Focus. Your Family.

Brian P. Murphy isn't a personal injury generalist who takes a nursing home case now and then. He has devoted his entire legal career, more than 20 years, exclusively to fighting nursing home abuse and neglect in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

20+
Years Exclusively NH Cases
PA & NJ
Licensed Both States
100%
Direct Attorney Contact

You work directly with Brian, not a paralegal, not intake staff. He personally handles every case. He comes to your home if needed. He returns phone calls. He explains the process in plain language.

"Brian Murphy was invaluable in helping me through a very difficult time. Hiring him on behalf of my mom was the best thing I ever did. He truly cared about what had happened to my mom and worked hard to negotiate a fair settlement."

Deborah M., Camden County, NJ

What Our Clients Say

Hiring him on behalf of my mom was the best thing I ever did. He truly cared about what had happened to my mom and worked very hard to negotiate a fair settlement. He even took the time to come to my home rather than expecting me to come to him.
Deborah M.
Camden County, NJ
Our case settled for more than double what the nursing home first offered. I thought Brian was a pleasant, honest, hard-working attorney, and most importantly, he stuck by us until he got the nursing home to pay what he thought the case was worth.
Bryan K.
Essex County, NJ
Brian Murphy is a stellar attorney. His comforting demeanor and attention to detail was a relief during a difficult time. He kept me well-informed and prepped every step of the way. I highly recommend Brian Murphy.
Sophia L.
Philadelphia, PA
I never had to track him down. He always picked up or got right back to me. His experience far exceeded the opposition and it was evident in every court hearing. He gave us resolution to our father's death.
Terri J.
Maryland (NJ case)
Brian went above and beyond. He visited my home for our first meeting and was extremely responsive to calls and emails. He is an extremely knowledgeable and effective lawyer. I highly recommend him.
Alice
Philadelphia Area
My family and I truly appreciate the kindness and compassion shown to us throughout this difficult time. We could not have asked for better representation. The most important aspect for me was his ability to stay professional yet very understanding and empathetic throughout. I knew he was always readily available if we needed anything.
Ellen G.
Lehigh County, PA

This Is Not About Greed. This Is About Accountability.

We know what you are feeling right now, because we hear the same thing from nearly every family we talk to. The anger at the facility. The guilt about placing your loved one there. The fear of looking like you are "after money."

You didn't cause this. You trusted a facility to provide care. They failed. The decision to hold them accountable isn't greed. Accountability is the only path to answers, to forcing change, and to making sure this doesn't happen to someone else's loved one.

Lawsuits are often the only mechanism forcing nursing homes to change their practices. When the Pennsylvania Department of Health dismissed 92% of Philadelphia nursing home complaints between 2012 and 2014, lawsuits—not regulators—held facilities accountable. When South Jersey Extended Care was understaffed by more than 50% every single day, legal action and an investigation by the NJ State Comptroller finally shut the facility down.

Brian Murphy takes every case on a contingency-fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and you owe nothing unless he wins your case. The consultation is free. The case review is free. The only cost of inaction is the expiration of your legal deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to sue a nursing home for bedsores?
Yes. If your loved one developed a bedsore while in the care of a nursing home, and the facility failed to provide proper preventive care, such as regular turning, adequate hygiene, proper nutrition, and appropriate pressure-relieving equipment, you likely have grounds for a negligence lawsuit. Brian Murphy evaluates the specific circumstances of your case at no cost.
Is a stage-4 bedsore a sign of neglect?
In the vast majority of cases, yes. A stage-4 bedsore, where the wound extends to muscle, tendon, or bone, represents a prolonged failure of care across multiple shifts and multiple caregivers.
How fast does a bedsore develop?
Early-stage bedsores begin forming within hours if a patient isn't repositioned. A stage-4 bedsore takes weeks or months of sustained neglect. This timeline is critical evidence.
The nursing home says it is a "Kennedy ulcer." Is that true?
Nursing homes frequently misuse this terminology to deflect responsibility. While end-of-life skin changes do exist, they have distinct clinical characteristics separating them from neglect-driven pressure ulcers. Brian works with wound care specialists who determine the truth.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit in PA or NJ?
Both PA and NJ enforce a two-year statute of limitations for nursing home neglect claims. The clock typically starts from the date of the injury or the date you learned about the wound. Do not assume you have more time. Evidence disappears and nursing homes purge records.
What if we signed an arbitration agreement at admission?
Courts frequently challenge and invalidate arbitration agreements in nursing home admissions. Brian Murphy reviews your agreement and advises you on your options.
Will the nursing home retaliate against my loved one?
Federal and state law prohibit nursing homes from retaliating against residents or their families for filing complaints or lawsuits.
I feel guilty for placing my parent in a nursing home. Is this lawsuit the right thing?
Many families feel this way. Placing a loved one in a nursing home isn't a failure. Families make this decision out of love. The failure belongs to the facility that accepted responsibility and then neglected them. Seeking accountability is one of the most important things you will do.
Do I have to pay anything upfront?
No. Brian Murphy works on a contingency-fee basis. You pay absolutely nothing unless he recovers compensation for your family. The initial consultation is free and confidential.

Nursing Home Neglect in Philadelphia and New Jersey Is a Documented Crisis.

This isn't a problem that happens "somewhere else." The evidence sits in the public record, right here:

$5.3 Million
Philadelphia-area nursing homes have accumulated $5.3 million in safety-violation fines since 2023.
92%
The PA Department of Health dismissed 92% of Philadelphia nursing home complaints filed between 2012 and 2014.
$3.61 Million
Cheltenham Nursing & Rehab paid $3.61M to settle False Claims Act allegations after years of patient neglect.
50%+ Understaffed
Two South Jersey nursing homes operated understaffed by more than 50% every day while collecting millions in Medicaid payments.

Brian Murphy has litigated cases against many of the worst facilities in both states. He knows the local ownership groups, the patterns, and the regulators, because this is the only work he has done for over two decades.

One Phone Call. That's All It Takes.

You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need medical records, legal documents, or proof of anything. Tell Brian what happened. He takes it from there.

1
You Call Brian
Speak with him personally. Not a call center.
2
Tell Him What Happened
He listens. He asks the right questions. He gives you an honest answer.
3
He Gets to Work
Preserving evidence, securing records, building your claim immediately.
4
You Pay Nothing
Unless Brian wins. No hourly fees. No retainer. No bills. Ever.
Call (215) 579-8500 Now
The two-year statute of limitations is a hard deadline. If you are reading this page, the clock is likely already running.

Get Your Free Case Review

Tell Brian what happened. He reviews every submission personally and responds within one business day. You will speak directly with Attorney Brian P. Murphy, not a call center.

Licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. No fee unless we recover compensation for your family.

Free Consultation
No Fee Unless We Win
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