Because it focuses on medical malpractice and has professional recognition, Harry S. Cohen & Associates, P.C. leads this list. Nursing home neglect also appears on its site. Before calling, check each firm's work with resident injuries and ask how fees work and who'll handle your file, then read the Pennsylvania filing rules.
4.450 Google reviewsRated 4.4 out of 5 on Google from 50 reviews
Best for: Neglect involving medical care
With medical malpractice as its focus, Harry S. Cohen & Associates, P.C. includes nursing home neglect among the claims listed on its site. Because organizations including the National Board of Trial Advocacy have recognized the firm, that recognition and its focus support its place on this list. For malpractice cases, the firm reports multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements.
Stood out in our review for how much of its work is medical malpractice and the recognition it has earned.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.927 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 27 reviews
Best for: Bedsores and facility neglect
Senior Justice Law Firm's published results include a $14 million verdict against a Pennsylvania home health care company after the death of an Alzheimer's patient. Its site also reports nursing home wrongful death verdicts in Miami and Colorado. Those cases concern long-term care directly.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes and what its clients say.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.9220 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 220 reviews
Best for: Families near Sewickley
Because Flaherty Fardo Rogel & Amick, LLC has operated since 1997, its documented firm history is longer than that of others on this list. You'll find its Sewickley office 19 km from Pittsburgh. While medical malpractice makes up half its practice, the firm's site includes nursing home neglect and wrongful death.
Stood out in our review for its years of experience and what its clients say.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Not sure who to call first?
Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Pittsburgh can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
5.010 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 10 reviews
Best for: Missed diagnoses in resident care
Tetlow Law's published results include a $3 million arbitration award for failure to diagnose a pulmonary embolism and a $2.25 million settlement involving a surgical spinal cord injury. Those concrete results support its place on this list. Its site identifies nursing home neglect, although the detailed outcomes listed concern other medical malpractice claims.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes and how much of its work is medical malpractice.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.61,946 Google reviewsRated 4.6 out of 5 on Google from 1946 reviews
Best for: Neglect with broader medical issues
At Morgan & Morgan, the clearest trade-off concerns keeping clients informed. While some of its 1,946 Google reviews report strong results, others complain about fees or unanswered messages, and some describe cases the firm declined. Before hiring, ask about those concerns.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and how much of its work is medical malpractice.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
When you talk to the lawyer, explain what happened and when your family learned of it. Although Pennsylvania generally allows 2 years to file, its discovery rule turns on when you knew or reasonably should have known of the injury and its cause.
Assess the care records
To assess your claim, which medical records and nursing notes does the lawyer need? Before proceeding, discuss whether the alleged neglect is medical malpractice and what review by a professional would be needed to evaluate that care.
Prepare the required certificate
For each defendant, a malpractice claim needs a certificate of merit filed with the complaint or within 60 days. To meet that requirement, it states that an appropriate licensed professional supplied a written statement supporting a reasonable probability that the care fell below the standard.
File the complaint
To start the lawsuit, you file a document called the complaint. Before filing, ask the lawyer which deadline fits your circumstances and which defendants require certificates. For children, Pennsylvania has a separate filing rule.
Address the claim's resolution
If a trial is needed, discuss how the firm would handle it, along with settlement talks. Although firms here publish settlements and verdicts, you can't tell from those results how long your claim will take or how it will end.
Malpractice claims in Pittsburgh: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Pennsylvania
The clock startsWhen you found out, or should have
Time to start a claim2 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
Limits on damages in Pennsylvania
Pain and sufferingNo cap
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkFile a certificate of merit for each defendant with the complaint or within 60 days, stating an appropriate licensed professional has given a written statement that there is a reasonable probability the care fell below the standard.
A written agreementThe share the lawyer takes, set out before work starts.
If you recover moneyThe agreed share and the case costs come out of it.
If the claim failsNo legal fee on a contingency agreement. Ask about costs.
Contingency is how several firms on this list say they work. If the claim fails, there's no legal fee; if there's a recovery, the lawyer takes a share of it. Separate case costs can include court fees as well as the expense of getting records and medical opinions. Who pays those expenses isn't necessarily clear from the fee arrangement. Before agreeing, ask whether the firm advances costs and when they're deducted. Without a recovery, could those costs still be yours? Although a free consultation has no consultation charge, ask before signing for the terms that would govern any work after that meeting.
According to the firms' own statements, a free consultation is offered by nine of the ten listed; contingency work is offered by six.
What to bring to your first call
The resident's care records and nursing notes already in your hands
When the injury happened and when your family found out
Names of the care providers involved, along with the facility's name
Photos showing wounds or other injuries you can see
Hospital records made after the resident's transfer from the facility
Bills and letters the facility or insurer sent
A timeline you've written of symptoms and calls, including care concerns
Notes you've made about what staff told your family or the resident
Questions to ask a lawyer
1With injuries like this, have you handled nursing home cases before?
2Who'll be responsible for our file, including reviewing the records?
3When you have updates, how will our family hear?
4Given our circumstances, what's the filing deadline?
5For this claim, is a certificate of merit required?
6What will we pay for case costs and your legal fee?
7If the claim fails, could case costs still be ours to pay?
8In your free consultation, what do you cover?
Choose for the care problem, not the rating
Make the resident's injury your starting point. If it's a pressure sore, your questions will differ from those about a missed diagnosis after a fall. Before going further, ask whether the attorney has handled that kind of nursing home claim and can describe an example without disclosing private client information. Experience with daily facility care isn't established by a broad medical malpractice result alone.
Although several Pittsburgh firms here publish nursing home outcomes, others mainly report results from cases involving surgery or diagnosis. Don't overlook that difference. You'll find Flaherty Fardo Rogel & Amick, LLC in Sewickley, 19 km from Pittsburgh. An office in the Pittsburgh area is listed by Morgan & Morgan. If your family has difficulty traveling, ask where you'd actually meet before making arrangements.
Ask how the file will be handled
After the first call, who'll speak with your family, and who'll review the nursing notes? Ask for that person's name.
Ask how updates will reach you. Although reviews here praise clear communication, some also describe calls that went unanswered.
Before accepting your case, what does the attorney need to know? Having a consultation doesn't mean they've agreed to represent you.
Ask for a written explanation of fees. If there's a free consultation, find out what it covers and whether later work will require you to sign an agreement.
For each defendant in a Pennsylvania malpractice claim, a certificate of merit must accompany the complaint or be filed within 60 days. To satisfy the certificate, an appropriate licensed professional must have supplied the required written opinion about care falling below the standard. Before proceeding, ask whether your neglect claim needs one and how the firm would arrange for a professional to review the care.
If someone promises a particular recovery or pushes you to sign without explaining costs, be wary. Because published settlements involve other people's cases, they don't establish the value of yours. You're reading general information, not legal advice. To understand how the rules affect your family, speak with a Pennsylvania lawyer.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to file a nursing home malpractice claim in Pittsburgh?
To file in Pennsylvania, you generally have 2 years. When you knew or reasonably should have known of the injury and its cause, that period starts under the discovery rule. After assessing the dates, a Pennsylvania lawyer can tell you whether the malpractice rules apply to your nursing home claim. When calculating the deadline, don't rely only on the date of injury.
Which listed firms publish nursing home results?
Alongside Senior Justice Law Firm's reported nursing home wrongful death verdicts, Phillips Froetschel, LLC lists a settlement involving nursing home negligence or abuse. For resident injuries, Murray, Stone & Wilson, PLLC publishes several outcomes. Pressure sores and untreated wounds are involved in some of those cases. Although these descriptions can help you decide what to ask, a past result won't predict what happens with your family's claim.
Can we speak to a lawyer without paying for the first meeting?
Nine listed firms say they offer a free consultation. This list doesn't identify SMT Legal's consultation terms, so ask before booking. A free meeting doesn't settle the question of later fees or expenses. Discuss whether the firm will accept your case, and get written payment terms before you authorize further work.
What does a nursing home malpractice case need?
For each defendant in a Pennsylvania malpractice claim, you must file a certificate of merit with the complaint or within 60 days. To meet the requirement, it must state that an appropriate licensed professional supplied a written statement supporting a reasonable probability that the care fell below the standard. Before gathering records, ask your lawyer which ones are needed and whether the alleged neglect calls for this certificate.
What should our family do before calling a firm?
When did the injury happen, and when did you learn its possible cause? Write that down. Along with photos, gather any hospital records and nursing notes you have. If you have facility bills or letters, include those too. Rather than guessing which documents matter, ask the firm what else it needs. On that first call, ask about the filing deadline.
How long will a nursing home neglect case take?
You won't find one timeline for these cases in the listed firms' published results. Verdicts appear in some reports; others describe settlements. Before the attorney can assess your claim, ask what needs to happen and how they'll keep you updated while they review it. When a case might finish is separate from the Pennsylvania filing deadline and the deadline for the certificate.
What if my loved one died after suspected neglect?
When you tell the lawyer your loved one died, describe the care concerns you had before the death. Wrongful death appears among the claims several listed firms handle. For nursing home wrongful death, Senior Justice Law Firm also publishes verdicts. Given your family's circumstances, ask a Pennsylvania lawyer which deadlines apply and who may bring a claim.
Does Pennsylvania limit the damages a patient can recover?
For damages intended to compensate for harm, called compensatory damages, Pennsylvania sets no cap. When Pennsylvania's rules describe a limitation, it concerns punitive damages against individual physicians, which are separate from damages meant to compensate for harm. You can't use that difference to determine what a nursing home claim is worth. Given the resident's injuries and the defendants involved, a Pennsylvania lawyer can explain which damages may apply.
Are the filing rules different for a child?
Under Pennsylvania's rule, a child must sue within 7 years of the malpractice or before the twentieth birthday, whichever comes later. If a minor received the care, ask a Pennsylvania lawyer how the rule fits those circumstances. Before that conversation, gather the child's birth date and treatment dates. Don't use the general adult deadline without legal guidance.
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