Can You Sue a Florida Group Home for Abuse and Neglect? Know Your Rights and Next Steps

When the system fails your loved one, Florida law gives you the right to fight back.

You placed your trust in a Florida group home because you believed your loved one would be safe, cared for, and treated with dignity. But now you’re questioning everything. Maybe it was a sudden hospitalization, an unexplained injury, or a phone call that didn’t sit right. Maybe it was silence. Whatever it was, something told you: This isn’t right. And you’re probably wondering: Can I sue a Florida group home for abuse and neglect? The answer is yes.

Florida Law Protects People with Disabilities in Group Homes

Under Florida Statutes § 393.13, individuals with developmental disabilities who live in licensed group homes have specific legal rights. These aren’t vague ideals; rather, they are important protections under state law.

Every Florida group home resident has the right to:

• Be treated with dignity, respect, and privacy

• Be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation

• Receive adequate medical, dental, and personal care

• Communicate freely with family and visitors

• Make choices about their care and services

• Be protected from unnecessary restraints or punishment

  
  

If a facility violates these rights and your loved one is injured, traumatized, or worse, you may have grounds for a group home abuse lawsuit in Florida.

Neglect in Group Homes Is Real. And It’s Often Hidden.

Neglect in a Florida group home isn't always obvious. Abuse can arise in the following situations:

• Choking during meals, especially for nonverbal teens and adults

• Medications stopped or skipped without a doctor’s order

• Unsupervised wandering or eloping from the home

• Bedsores in residents with limited mobility

• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) or signs of poor hygiene

• Prolonged exposure to soiled clothing or bedding

• Rotting teeth, severe dental problems, or lack of help with basic oral hygiene like brushing teeth

• Sudden changes in behavior, such as fear, withdrawal, or agitation

• Rapid, unexplained weight loss

• Broken bones or bruises with no clear explanation

• Use of physical or chemical restraints without medical necessity

  
  

These warning signs are often hidden from families. Staff may avoid answering difficult questions, and records can be incomplete or misleading. By the time the truth comes out, significant harm may already have occurred.

But you are not powerless.

What to Do If You Suspect Group Home Neglect or Abuse

1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention. Provide health care professionals with as much detail as possible about your loved one’s injuries and how the incident occurred.

   
   

2. Say Something. Report the Incident. Report the facility or caretaker and the suspected abuse or neglect to the State of Florida. Depending on the license type, complaints may be filed with:

   • Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

   • Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)

   • Department of Children and Families (DCF)

     
     

   FIDJ can also help you navigate this process.

   
   

3. Photograph Injuries and the Location. Gather as much evidence as you can. Take clear photos of any injuries and the environment where the incident took place.

   
   

4. Begin Gathering Medical Records. Request copies of hospital records and other medical documentation. The attorneys at FIDJ can help you collect and organize these records.

   
   

5. Contact FIDJ. Hold the facility accountable for the pain and suffering they caused. The earlier you involve an experienced Florida group home abuse lawyer, the better your chances of protecting evidence and building a strong case.

   
   

Why Sue a Florida Group Home for Abuse and Neglect?

When a group home fails to provide proper care, families face not only emotional trauma but also financial burdens, such as hospital bills, funeral expenses, and long-term psychological harm. Meanwhile, the facility may continue operating without consequences.

A lawsuit can:

• Hold the group home accountable

• Expose systemic failures or repeated violations

• Obtain financial compensation for your family

• Force changes to protect future residents

• Punish the group home (in some cases, courts may award punitive damages designed to punish the group home for gross negligence or intentional misconduct).

  
  

Every lawsuit has the potential not just to bring justice for one family but to protect other vulnerable residents from the same harm.

Don’t Wait. Florida Law Has Deadlines to File Group Home Lawsuits.

If you’re considering legal action, don’t wait. Florida law places strict deadlines on filing group home abuse or neglect lawsuits.

Most lawsuits for personal injury or wrongful death related to Florida group home abuse or neglect must be filed within two years of the incident. But waiting is risky. Surveillance footage can be deleted, records may be altered or lost?, and staff members might leave or become unavailable.

Yes—the law gives you two years, but acting sooner gives you the best chance to uncover the truth and protect your loved one’s rights.

We’re Ready to Help.

At FIDJ, we represent families devastated by the very facilities they trusted to care for their loved ones. We know these aren’t ordinary cases — because they’re not. Your loved one deserved better. You deserve answers. And we’re ready to help you get them.

Contact the experienced Florida group home abuse attorneys at FIDJ for a FREE, no pressure, case review. Let us help you fight for justice and hold negligent facilities accountable.

We Sue Group Homes for Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Call (844) FIDJ-LAW to speak with one of our experienced Group Home attorneys.