Read Bio
Since 1976, Steve Levin has been dedicated to helping people injured by others’ negligence. He is one of the first attorneys in the U.S. to prosecute nursing homes for abuse and negligence. He’s also helped write new legislation that governs the operation of nursing homes, including the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. Moreover, Levin & Perconti has obtained the top three jury verdicts in nursing home negligence cases in Illinois.
Read Bio
Since 1976, Steve Levin has been dedicated to helping people injured by others’ negligence. He is one of the first attorneys in the U.S. to prosecute nursing homes for abuse and negligence. He’s also helped write new legislation that governs the operation of nursing homes, including the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. Moreover, Levin & Perconti has obtained the top three jury verdicts in nursing home negligence cases in Illinois.
When families place a loved one in a nursing home, they trust that facility to provide safe, dignified care. For many Illinois families, that trust has been broken, not only by nursing home abuse and neglect that led to serious injury or death, but by a system that allows nursing home owners to evade accountability even after cases are resolved.
Levin & Perconti recently held a press conference to call attention to a growing and deeply troubling issue: nursing homes refusing to pay court-ordered verdicts and dozens of negotiated settlements owed to families.
One Record Verdict and 30 Unpaid Settlements
There are at least 30 cases in Cook County involving nursing homes owned or controlled by Moishe Gubin, CEO of Strawberry Fields Real Estate Investment Trust, a multistate real estate company that serves as a de facto landlord for more than 140 nursing homes across 10 states, with previously agreed-upon, but now unpaid, settlements.
At the press conference calling attention to the unpaid settlements, Managing Partner Margaret Battersby Black said:
“[Gubin] calls these nursing homes his tenants because they pay rent and they cover the real estate expenses. These buildings and these real estate plots of land are very valuable, and they make Mr. Gubin a lot of money… He claims that his tenants are delivering an exceptional level of satisfaction… As you’ll learn today from these families, the care in the facilities is anything but exceptional.”
One case resulted in a record-breaking jury verdict, the largest nursing home verdict in Illinois history, achieved by Levin & Perconti partner Paul Connery in November of 2025.
The remaining cases were settled before going to trial. None of them have been paid in full.
Together, these unresolved matters leave Chicago-area families owed between $20 million and $22 million, according to Levin & Perconti.
The Largest Nursing Home Verdict in Illinois History
In November, a Cook County jury returned a $12.2 million verdict against two Strawberry Fields entities, Lakeview Rehabilitation & Nursing Center and Infinity Healthcare Management, in the wrongful death case of 79-year-old Shirley Adams.
Mrs. Adams died after developing severe pressure wounds that became infected because they were not properly treated. The jury deliberated for just 90 minutes before finding the nursing home companies responsible.
After the verdict, the Defendants asked the court to reduce the award. That request was denied. Instead, the judge entered a final judgment of $17.3 million, including additional interest and statutory attorneys’ fees.
Despite the court’s order, the Adams family has not been paid.
“We are pleased with the judge’s ruling, but unfortunately, we are doubtful the family of Shirley Adams will receive a check anytime soon. Mr. Gubin has a long history of refusing to timely pay settlements and verdicts.” – Paul Connery
Nursing Homes Refuse to Pay 30 Settlements
In addition to the record verdict, 30 other cases involving nursing homes in the Strawberry Fields nursing home portfolio were resolved through settlements totaling between $4 million and $5 million.
Those settlements were negotiated in good faith and approved, yet remain unpaid.
“Our firm represents more than a dozen families who did everything the legal system asked of them. They settled their cases, only to be met with delay, obstruction, and refusal to pay. Mr. Gubin came to these families after they filed lawsuits and offered them closure… These families signed agreements, dismissed their cases, and then sought to recover the money he promised. He has refused to pay them. And he still refuses to pay them.” – Margaret Battersby Black
The firm is scheduled to return to collections court on February 2, 2026, where a judge will determine whether Moishe Gubin and his attorney should be held in contempt of court.
Intentional Underinsurance and a Broken System
A central issue in these cases is intentional underinsurance, a strategy that leaves little money available to compensate families even when negligence is proven.
In the Adams case, the Lakeview facility carried only $250,000 in insurance per occurrence, much of which was consumed by defense costs.
“When residents suffer injuries or die due to negligence, abuse, understaffing, or poor care, there is often little or no money left for the families,” Connery said.
“Many privately owned nursing home operators in Illinois exploit the lack of financial transparency in state law to avoid paying legal judgments,” Battersby Black added.
At the press conference held at Levin & Perconti’s office, Connery said,
“At the end of the day, what we’re missing is a statutory threshold for insurance. It’s always shocking to people to learn that a nursing home is not required by law to carry adequate insurance.” emphasizing that, “Your hairdresser is required to carry significant insurance, but the nursing staff caring for your mother or your grandmother is not. That’s one of the huge problems.”
The Need for Legislative Reform
Under the current Nursing Home Care Act legislation, nursing home and long-term care operators face little incentive to improve care or comply with staffing requirements. These cases expose a dangerous loophole in Illinois law that allows facilities to evade responsibility, even after a court has found them liable.
“State lawmakers must amend the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. The Act has been weakened by tactics that allow bad actors to avoid accountability. Commonsense reforms are needed to protect residents and their families.” – Steve Levin
Levin & Perconti: Standing with Families and Demanding Accountability
Families who have already lost a loved one should not have to fight again just to collect what a jury or settlement agreement has already promised them.
“Nursing Homes shouldn’t be able to finance the harm they’re causing to Illinois’ citizens. Although these tactics have made the Nursing Home Care Act difficult to enforce because there aren’t many lawyers who are willing to enforce it at this cost, our firm is going to hold Mr. Gubin accountable. And we’re not going to stop until he pays the debts he owes.” – Margaret Battersby Black
The legal team at Levin & Perconti continues to pursue enforcement in court, advocate for legislative reform, and stand with families until nursing home owners are held accountable for their negligence & abuse.
Justice does not end when a case is resolved. It ends when families are paid, and protected from abuse happening again.
