Texas does have laws that protect the elderly. These laws protect the rights of the elderly and establish rules for mandatory reporting of elder abuse. You can learn more about these laws and their relevance to your life with a Texas personal injury lawyer.
An attorney can also help if you have faced financial losses due to an act of elder abuse or mistreatment. A lawyer can explain your rights in this situation and focus on building a claim to bring you fair compensation.
Does Texas Have Laws for Protecting the Elderly?
Texas has multiple laws that protect the elderly. These laws focus on:
Defining Senior Rights
Texas protects the elderly by establishing senior rights that everyone in the state has an obligation to respect. According to the Attorney General of Texas, all seniors in the state have the right to:
- Exercise their civil rights
- Be treated with respect and dignity
- Make choices about their personal affairs
- Avoid subjection to exploitation, neglect, and abuse
- Pick a representative or guardian
- Privacy regarding everything from medical treatment to mail delivery
- Participate in community, religious, and social activities
- Manage their own financial affairs
- Access their own clinical and personal records
- Make legal decisions
Individuals who violate these rights can face legal consequences because Texas does have laws that protect the elderly. An attorney can tell you more about these laws and the potential consequences of a violation.
Reporting Elder Abuse
Texas has laws that focus specifically on protecting older individuals from abuse. These laws detail responsibilities for reporting acts of elder abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Many professionals in Texas are considered mandatory reporters and must notify the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) if they even suspect abuse.
Mandatory reporters include:
- Social workers
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Law enforcement personnel
Individuals can face criminal penalties for failing to report abuse. Our state takes protecting the elderly seriously, as evidenced by the laws enacted to prevent this harmful behavior.
What Happens if Someone Violates the Laws Protecting the Elderly?
Individuals who abuse the elderly in Texas can face penalties in the civil and criminal court systems. An attorney can tell you more about:
Civil Claims for Abuse
The injured party or their legal representatives can work with an attorney to file a claim against an abuser through the civil court system. Filing a civil claim allows victims to seek compensation for their economic and non-economic losses.
Winning a civil claim could allow an elderly victim of abuse to get funds to pay for everything from their medical expenses to their emotional distress. A lawyer can help with a civil claim.
Criminal Charges for Abuse
Sometimes, individuals will face criminal charges brought by the prosecution after acts of physical, mental, sexual, or even financial abuse. Criminal charges can result in penalties like fines and jail time.
The criminal and civil court systems operate independently of one another in Texas. An attorney can give you more information about these systems and the results of violating the state’s laws on the protection of the elderly.
(310) 526-8383What to Do if You Suspect Someone Violated Laws Protecting the Elderly
If you believe that someone violated one of the laws in Texas that protects the elderly, you should take immediate action to report this wrongdoing. Depending on the nature of the violation, you may need to go directly to the police.
For example, if you believe that an older individual has experienced some form of abuse, you should contact the police and notify them. You may also need to help an elderly individual seek medical care after an act of abuse.
You may need to report some acts of suspected misconduct to the DFPS, which can then investigate to see if someone violated one of the laws in our state. An attorney can give you more specific information about the steps you should take if you discover or suspect abuse.
Talk to Us About Laws Protecting the Elderly in Texas
So, does Texas have laws that protect the elderly? Yes, our state has multiple laws in place that protect older individuals from abuse and other forms of misconduct. These laws set up protections for the rights of the elderly and provide information about how to report acts of abuse or neglect.
Individuals who violate the laws protecting the elderly can face fines, jail time, and other penalties. If you or a loved one experienced mistreatment, you can reach out to a personal injury lawyer from our team at Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys for professional help and support.
We have decades of combined experience and can assist with claims involving all forms of elder abuse, including nursing home abuse. You can contact us now to get a risk-free initial consultation and information about your eligibility to file a legal claim.
