When the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigated allegations of abuse and neglect at Texas state-run group homes for the disabled, parents and disability advocates must have felt a sense of relief that problems would finally be addressed. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services is in the news again following the death of an autistic man with severe disabilities.

The parents of the young man have sued Richmond State Supported Living Center for the wrongful death of their son. The center is one of 13 homes for the disabled run by the state of Texas.

When the DOJ investigated the facility in 2008, it was cited for understaffing, poor training, failure to investigate abuse and failure to provide adequate treatment. The death of this resident highlighted the fact that all of these failures continue to plague the facility.

The parent's legal complaint says that their son was violently beaten by an employee at the facility. Because of his severe autism and mental retardation, he was unable to communicate his injuries to other staff members. A nurse was supposed to check on him and the parents contend that if she had done so, she might have detected the fatal injuries he had suffered. However, at no time during the one to two days between the assault and the resident's death did the medical records show that the nurse had checked his vital signs.

The resident died from blunt force trauma that ruptured his intestines.

His parents charge that the employees at the facility were poorly trained and poorly supervised and that they lacked the support necessary to do their jobs. They are seeking damages from the state under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

If your loved one has died due to nursing home neglect or abuse, contact one of our Phoenix personal injury attorneys right away to discuss your legal options.

Source: Courthouse News Service, "Parents decry Abuse at Texas Care Home," by Cameron Langford, October 24, 2011.