Summit Oaks Hospital, a psychiatric facility at 19 Prospect Street in Summit, New Jersey, is the subject of a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the mother of a teenage patient who died by suicide there in 2023, and it is also the focus of an active investigation by the law firm Levy Konigsberg into allegations that patients were sexually abused during treatment. The hospital is owned by Universal Health Services (UHS), a for-profit operator whose behavioral health facilities have drawn a wave of related litigation and federal scrutiny.
The Teen Suicide Lawsuit
In June 2023, the mother of a teenager identified as Jaxson sued Summit Oaks after he hanged himself with bedsheets during his inpatient stay. He had a documented history of suicide attempts and had voiced suicidal thoughts at Morristown Medical Center before being transferred to Summit Oaks.1SkipSimpson.com. Inpatient Suicide in Behavioral Health Care Facilities
The complaint alleges that Jaxson spent 12 hours at the facility without being seen by an on-duty psychiatrist. He was placed in a corner room with no roommate and no dedicated sitter, in a spot the complaint describes as completely out of sight of the nursing station. Staff were using 15-minute observation intervals rather than one-to-one or continuous line-of-sight monitoring. Attorney Skip Simpson called the 15-minute checks “a dangerous cost-saving measure.”1SkipSimpson.com. Inpatient Suicide in Behavioral Health Care Facilities
The suit has not been publicly resolved as of mid-2026. A 2010 state inspection had already flagged suicide-prevention problems on the child and adolescent unit: sink plumbing fixtures in patient bathrooms were exposed and shaped in a way that could bear a patient’s weight during a hanging attempt, and non-tamper-proof screws were accessible throughout the unit. Inspectors classified the finding as a repeat deficiency.2HospitalInspections.org. Summit Oaks Hospital Inspection Report
The Sexual Abuse Investigation
Levy Konigsberg has disclosed that it is investigating claims that patients at Summit Oaks were “violently sexually abused” while in treatment. The firm describes the matter as in the investigation phase as of mid-2026. No lawsuit naming Summit Oaks as a defendant in a sexual abuse case has been publicly filed or certified as a class action based on available information.3Levy Konigsberg LLP. Summit Oaks Hospital Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
The investigation is aimed at UHS under theories of corporate and institutional liability for allegedly failing to protect patients from abuse by staff members such as guards, counselors, and nurses.3Levy Konigsberg LLP. Summit Oaks Hospital Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
New Jersey Filing Deadlines
Under New Jersey’s Child Victims Act and N.J. Stat. ยง 2A:14-2a, survivors of childhood sexual abuse may file civil claims until age 55, or within seven years of recognizing the connection between the abuse and their injuries, whichever comes later. Adults who were 18 or older at the time of the incident have seven years from the date of the abuse to file.3Levy Konigsberg LLP. Summit Oaks Hospital Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
How Summit Oaks Fits the UHS Pattern
UHS runs roughly 200 inpatient psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities nationwide, and in 2024 alone the company faced a combined $895 million in damages tied to child abuse allegations at its behavioral health subsidiaries.4Healthcare Dive. UHS Damages Child Sexual Abuse Pavilion
At Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in Virginia, a jury awarded $360 million to three plaintiffs who alleged abuse by a physician, with roughly 40 additional plaintiffs holding pending claims. At Pavilion Behavioral Health System in Illinois, a jury returned a $535 million verdict after finding the facility negligent for allowing a 16-year-old male patient to sexually assault a 13-year-old female patient in 2020; plaintiff attorneys alleged the unit was too understaffed to be properly monitored, and UHS appealed.5Healthcare Dive. Universal Health Services $535M Negligence Verdict, Pavilion In December 2024, more than 100 former patients sued UHS alleging abuse at Illinois facilities including Hartsgrove Hospital.3Levy Konigsberg LLP. Summit Oaks Hospital Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
Federal enforcement has also reached UHS. In July 2020, the company and its subsidiary Turning Point Care Center paid $122 million to settle Department of Justice allegations under the False Claims Act. The government alleged that from 2006 through 2018, UHS facilities billed federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary inpatient behavioral health services, failed to provide adequate care, improperly used physical and chemical restraints, and did not maintain proper staffing or treatment plans. The settlement resolved 18 whistleblower lawsuits and required UHS to enter a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with an independent monitor.6U.S. Department of Justice. Universal Health Services Inc and Related Entities Pay $122 Million to Settle False Claims Act
Staffing and Conditions at the Facility
Employee and patient accounts describe chronic operational problems at Summit Oaks. Staff reviews report ratios as high as one nurse for 30 patients, and 16 to 30 patients per mental health associate. Employees describe a lack of security presence on evenings and weekends and report physical attacks from patients. Management has been characterized in multiple reviews as disorganized.
Patient complaints include privacy violations during group therapy, difficulty reaching staff by phone, and limited access to therapists and social workers. Reviews describe the physical environment as aging, and one employee reported bed bugs in patient rooms.
If You Were a Patient
People who believe they were harmed as patients at Summit Oaks can contact Levy Konigsberg, which is actively soliciting information for its investigation of alleged sexual abuse at the facility.3Levy Konigsberg LLP. Summit Oaks Hospital Sexual Abuse Lawsuits New Jersey’s filing windows above will determine whether a civil claim is still timely.