Texas Human Trafficking Lawyer | Legal Support for Survivors

Human trafficking exploits vulnerable people for financial gain. Survivors often suffer physical abuse, sexual violence, serious injuries, emotional manipulation, and lasting psychological trauma. Many victims are controlled through threats, isolation, intimidation, or online grooming, making it difficult or dangerous to seek help. A Texas human trafficking lawyer can help survivors and their families understand their legal rights and pursue justice through a civil lawsuit.

The Law Offices of Jason S. Coomer represents human trafficking survivors throughout Texas. Jason Coomer and his team investigate predators and enablers, including negligent hotels, online platforms, staffing agencies, transportation providers, property owners, and other entities that may have played a role in allowing trafficking to continue. Contact the Law Offices of Jason S. Coomer for a FREE CASE EVALUATION. Reach out today by email, text, or call 866-474-1477 (toll free) to learn more about pursuing a human trafficking lawsuit.

Frequently Asked Questions by Texas Human Trafficking Lawyer

Can I sue someone for human trafficking in Texas?

Yes, you can pursue damages under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code Chapter 98. Survivors can also bring federal claims under 18 U.S.C. § 1595 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Depending on the circumstances, these laws allow survivors to seek compensation from traffickers and, in some cases, businesses or individuals that knowingly benefited from the trafficking venture.

Civil lawsuits are separate from criminal prosecutions. You may pursue compensation even if law enforcement never arrested, charged, or convicted the trafficker. An experienced Texas human trafficking lawyer can evaluate your case, explain your legal rights, and determine the best course of action.

Who can be held liable besides the trafficker?

The trafficker is often not the only one who may be legally responsible. Under Texas law and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), survivors may also have claims against hotels, motels, staffing agencies, online platforms, transportation providers, property owners, and other businesses. These claims may arise when a business knew or should have known about the trafficking and knowingly benefited from participating in the trafficking venture. This legal theory is known as beneficiary liability.

Can I sue a hotel for allowing human trafficking on their property?

Yes, hotels and other hospitality businesses may face civil liability under state and federal law. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) allows claims against motels and other hospitality businesses when they knowingly benefit from participation in a venture that engages in human trafficking or ignore obvious warning signs that trafficking is occurring on their property.

Evidence may include repeated short-term room rentals, frequent cash payments, excessive foot traffic, multiple rooms rented under the same name, prior complaints, surveillance footage, or other indicators that the business failed to investigate or address while continuing to profit from the trafficking activity.

Can I sue a social media company for enabling my trafficking?

In some cases, yes. Courts have allowed certain civil claims against social media and technology companies that facilitated trafficking or ignored reports of exploitation. However, these cases often involve complex legal issues.

For example, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act generally protects online platforms from liability for content posted by third parties, although important exceptions and other legal theories may apply. Further, recent court rulings have held social media companies liable for enabling or failing to prevent trafficking. A human trafficking lawyer can evaluate whether your case falls within a recognized exception or another legal basis for recovery.

Do I need a criminal conviction before filing a lawsuit?

No, you do not need a criminal conviction. You can file a civil lawsuit regardless of whether law enforcement arrests, charges, or convicts the trafficker. A civil claim is separate from a criminal prosecution and requires a lower burden of proof. As a result, survivors may recover compensation even if prosecutors never file criminal charges or a criminal case does not result in a conviction.

What compensation can a trafficking survivor recover?

The compensation available depends on the facts of each case. Trafficking survivors may recover damages for medical expenses, counseling and therapy, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses caused by the trafficking. In some cases, survivors may also recover attorney's fees and punitive damages from defendants who knowingly profited from or participated in the trafficking venture.

How long do I have to file a human trafficking lawsuit in Texas?

Filing deadlines for human trafficking lawsuits vary under federal and Texas law. Under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), adult survivors generally have 10 years from the date their claim arose to file a civil lawsuit.

If you were trafficked as a minor, you generally have 10 years after your 18th birthday to file your claim. This extended deadline gives child trafficking survivors additional time to pursue legal action. Certain exceptions and tolling provisions may also apply. Because filing deadlines vary, it is important to speak with an experienced Texas human trafficking lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can determine which deadline applies and help protect your legal rights.

Will my case remain confidential?

Many survivors worry about protecting their privacy. Depending on the circumstances, a court may allow a trafficking survivor to file a lawsuit under a pseudonym, such as Jane Doe or John Doe, instead of using their legal name. Some cases also resolve through confidential settlements. The level of confidentiality depends on the facts of the case and the applicable court rules. A human trafficking lawyer can explain the options available to help protect your identity.

What is the difference between sex trafficking and labor trafficking?

Sex trafficking involves causing or compelling a person to engage in a commercial sex act through force, fraud, or coercion. When the victim is a minor, federal law does not require proof of force, fraud, or coercion.

Meanwhile, labor trafficking involves recruiting, harboring, transporting, or obtaining a person for labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion. Both are prohibited under federal and Texas law, and survivors of either form of trafficking may have the right to pursue a civil lawsuit.

How much does it cost to hire a human trafficking lawyer?

Most human trafficking lawyers handle cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront attorney's fees, and the law firm only gets paid if it recovers compensation for you. Texas Trafficking Lawyer, Jason Coomer, also offers free, confidential case evaluations. Survivors and their families can discuss their legal options without any financial obligation.

What Is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is the exploitation of a person for labor or commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion. Under federal law, when the victim is under 18 and is exploited in commercial sex, there is no requirement to prove force, fraud, or coercion. Trafficking can occur almost anywhere. Victims may be recruited online, manipulated by someone they know, transported across cities or state lines, or exploited in hotels, private homes, businesses, farms, construction sites, or other workplaces.

Despite common misconceptions, human trafficking does not always involve kidnapping or physical restraint. Many traffickers maintain control through fear, emotional manipulation, financial dependence, debt, or threats against the victim or their family. Human trafficking is both a serious criminal offense and a civil wrong. Even if no criminal charges are ever filed, survivors may still have the right to pursue a civil lawsuit against the individuals or entities responsible for their exploitation.

What Are the Warning Signs of Human Trafficking?

There is no single indicator that proves someone is being trafficked, but recognizing the warning signs of human trafficking can help identify victims and prevent further exploitation. While no single sign confirms trafficking, several indicators appearing together should raise concern. A victim may:

• Appear coached on what to say or allow another person to answer questions on their behalf.
• Avoid eye contact or appear fearful, anxious, intimidated, or unusually withdrawn.
• Lack control over their identification, money, or personal belongings.
• Work excessive hours for little or no pay under unsafe or abusive conditions.
• Show signs of physical abuse, malnourishment, exhaustion, or untreated injuries.
• Be closely monitored or prevented from speaking freely.
• Live where they work or have restricted freedom of movement.
• Express fear of leaving an employer, companion, or living situation because of threats, intimidation, or debt.
• Frequently move between hotels, motels, private residences, or job sites.
• Have little knowledge of where they are, where they are going, or how they arrived.

Sex Trafficking and Labor Trafficking

Human trafficking generally falls into two primary categories, sex trafficking and labor trafficking. While both involve the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, they differ in the type of exploitation involved and the circumstances surrounding the abuse.

Sex trafficking involves forcing, coercing, or deceiving a person into engaging in commercial sexual activity. Meanwhile, labor trafficking involves forcing a person to work or provide services through threats, fraud, or coercion, often for little or no pay. Labor trafficking can occur in many industries, including agriculture, construction, domestic work, restaurants, hospitality, transportation, manufacturing, and other workplaces.

Under federal law, when the victim is under 18 years old, prosecutors do not have to prove force, fraud, or coercion. Both sex trafficking and labor trafficking violate federal law and Texas law. Survivors of either form of trafficking may have the right to file a civil lawsuit against the traffickers, businesses, or other parties responsible for their exploitation.

Common Types of Human Trafficking Cases

Human trafficking can take many forms. According to information reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, cases may involve sex trafficking, labor trafficking, a combination of both, or situations where the type of trafficking is unknown or has not yet been identified.

Sex trafficking is frequently reported in locations where traffickers can isolate, control, or exploit victims. Common venues include hotels and motels, private residences used for commercial sex, illicit massage or spa businesses, online platforms, escort services, bars and clubs, and other commercial settings. Labor trafficking may occur in a wide range of industries, including domestic work, agriculture, construction, restaurants, retail businesses, factories, landscaping services, hospitality, transportation, and cleaning services. Examples of reported trafficking settings include:

Sex trafficking locations may include:

• Hotels and motels
• Private residences used for commercial sex
• Illegal massage or spa businesses
• Street-based exploitation
• Online platforms
• Escort or delivery services
• Bars, clubs, and adult entertainment businesses
• Other commercial locations

Labor trafficking locations may include:

• Domestic work
• Agriculture and farms
• Construction sites
• Restaurants and food service businesses
• Retail and small businesses
• Factories
• Hospitality and housekeeping services
• Landscaping companies
• Transportation services
• Other workplaces where individuals may be exploited

Trafficking does not happen in only one type of location or industry. Victims may be exploited in public-facing businesses, private residences, online environments, or workplaces where abuse and coercion are hidden from view. Recognizing the different forms and locations of trafficking is an important step in identifying responsible parties and holding traffickers, businesses, and organizations accountable when their actions or failures contribute to exploitation.

Human Trafficking Through Social Media

Technology has changed the way traffickers identify and recruit victims. Social media platforms, messaging applications, gaming communities, and other online spaces have become common places for traffickers to begin grooming vulnerable individuals. Rather than relying on force from the beginning, traffickers often spend weeks or months building trust. They may pretend to offer friendship, romance, employment opportunities, or financial support before gradually isolating and exploiting the victim.

Children, teenagers, and young adults are especially vulnerable to these tactics. Recent civil lawsuits have increasingly targeted technology companies, alleging that they knowingly allowed trafficking-related activity to continue or profited from systems that facilitated exploitation. Although these cases involve complex legal issues, they reflect a growing effort to hold all responsible parties accountable.

While traffickers increasingly use technology to recruit and exploit victims, online platforms are only one part of a much larger trafficking network. Federal and Texas law may allow survivors to pursue civil lawsuits against traffickers, businesses, and other parties whose actions or failures contributed to the exploitation.

Child Trafficking and Online Grooming

Children and teenagers are among the most vulnerable victims of human trafficking. Traffickers frequently use other children to enhance persuasion, social media, gaming platforms, messaging applications, and other online services to establish trust before exploiting minors. Grooming often begins with attention, compliments, gifts, or promises of friendship.

Over time, traffickers isolate children from trusted adults, manipulate their emotions, and gradually introduce exploitation. Parents may have no idea the abuse is occurring until significant harm has already taken place. When organizations fail to respond appropriately to reports of grooming or ignore obvious warning signs, they may share responsibility for the resulting harm.

Children and teenagers often require years of medical treatment, counseling, and support after escaping trafficking. Federal and Texas law provide survivors and their families with important legal remedies to hold responsible parties accountable.

Texas Trafficking Lawyer, Jason Coomer, evaluates potential claims involving online grooming, technology platforms, and digital services where the law allows civil recovery. We advocate for children and families affected by trafficking and online exploitation, seeking accountability from every responsible party.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Human Trafficking Case?

Human trafficking cases often involve multiple responsible parties. While traffickers themselves may be liable, civil investigations frequently identify additional businesses or organizations whose actions allowed the exploitation to continue. Depending on the circumstances, liability may extend to:

• Individual traffickers and recruiters
• Hotels and motels
• Property owners and management companies
• Online platforms and technology companies where supported by law
• Staffing agencies
• Transportation providers
• Businesses that knowingly benefited from trafficking
• Third parties that assisted or facilitated the trafficking venture

Identifying every responsible party is an important part of maximizing accountability and pursuing the full compensation.

Hotel and Hospitality Liability Claims

Trafficking rarely occurs in complete secrecy. In many cases, there are repeated warning signs that are observed by employees, managers, property owners, or others who are in a position to recognize suspicious activity.

Hotels, motels, apartment complexes, truck stops, massage businesses, transportation companies, staffing agencies, and other organizations may face civil liability when they knowingly benefit from human trafficking or fail to respond despite clear indicators that exploitation is taking place. We investigate hotels and hospitality businesses that ignored warning signs or knowingly profited from trafficking activity on their property.

Proving a Business "Knowingly Benefited" from Human Trafficking

Evidence that a business "knowingly benefited" from trafficking may show that the business received money or something of value from the trafficking activity while knowing, or deliberately ignoring clear signs, that exploitation was occurring. For example, a hotel may receive payment from a trafficker who repeatedly rents rooms for trafficking purposes. The business does not have to be directly involved in the trafficking or act as the trafficker itself. Instead, liability may arise when a business profits from trafficking and fails to take reasonable steps despite indications that trafficking is taking place.

The warning signs vary from case to case, but evidence may include repeated short-term room rentals, an unusually high volume of visitors to a single room, frequent cash payments, or victims who appear fearful or unable to speak for themselves. Internal incident reports, surveillance footage, employee observations, electronic records, and witness testimony may also help establish what a business knew or should have known.

Turning a blind eye to obvious red flags for profit is enough to create liability. When a business fails to implement reasonable policies, properly train employees, investigate complaints, or report suspected trafficking, those failures may become important evidence in a civil claim. Every case is different, and liability depends on the specific facts, the applicable law, and the available evidence.

Human Trafficking Lawsuits Under Federal and Texas State Law

Federal and Texas law allow human trafficking survivors to pursue justice through a civil lawsuit. Unlike a criminal prosecution, which focuses on punishing the offender, a civil lawsuit allows survivors to seek financial compensation from the people and businesses responsible for the trafficking. In many cases, survivors can pursue a civil claim even if law enforcement never arrests, charges, or convicts the trafficker.

The two primary laws that authorize these claims are the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 98. Depending on the facts of the case, survivors may file claims under federal law, Texas law, or both.

Federal Human Trafficking Lawsuits Under the TVPRA

The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) gives survivors the right to file a civil lawsuit against traffickers and, in many cases, against businesses or individuals that knowingly benefited from participating in a trafficking venture. These claims often involve hotels, motels, online platforms, transportation providers, staffing agencies, property owners, and other businesses whose actions or failures allowed the trafficking to continue. One of the most important provisions of the TVPRA is 18 U.S.C. § 1595, which creates a private right of action for trafficking survivors. This law allows survivors to recover financial compensation from traffickers and from those who knowingly benefited from the trafficking venture. It also allows successful plaintiffs to recover attorney's fees. In 2023, Congress expanded the law to clarify that liability may extend to those who knowingly benefit from an attempted trafficking venture, not only trafficking that was successfully completed.

Texas Human Trafficking Lawsuits Under Chapter 98

Texas also provides survivors with an important civil remedy through Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 98. This law allows trafficking survivors to pursue compensation against those responsible for the harm they suffered under Texas law. Depending on the circumstances, survivors may bring claims against traffickers as well as businesses or individuals whose conduct contributed to or facilitated the trafficking. Chapter 98 often works alongside the TVPRA, giving survivors another legal avenue to hold every responsible party accountable.

What Compensation Can Human Trafficking Survivors Recover?

A civil lawsuit seeks to hold responsible parties financially accountable for the harm they caused. Depending on the facts of the case, survivors may recover compensation for medical expenses, counseling and therapy, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other damages allowed by law. In some cases, survivors may also recover attorney's fees, punitive damages, or other remedies authorized under federal or Texas state law.

Every human trafficking case is different. An experienced Texas human trafficking lawyer can investigate the facts, identify every potentially responsible party, and determine whether claims should be brought under the TVPRA, Texas Chapter 98, or both.

Filing a Human Trafficking Lawsuit in Texas

Every trafficking case requires a thorough investigation. Attorneys may collect medical records, witness statements, electronic communications, financial records, surveillance footage, business records, and other evidence to determine how the trafficking occurred and who may be legally responsible. Civil lawsuits seek compensation for both economic and non-economic losses while helping expose systemic failures that allowed trafficking to continue. Many survivors find that pursuing accountability is an important step in reclaiming control over their future.

And when human trafficking results in the death of a loved one, we help surviving family members pursue wrongful death claims against those responsible. Trafficking can lead to fatal outcomes through physical abuse, violence, unsafe working conditions, neglect, or other foreseeable harms that could have been prevented. The death of a family member can leave survivors facing profound emotional and financial burdens. A wrongful death lawsuit may allow eligible family members to recover compensation for medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, lost financial support, loss of companionship, mental anguish, and other damages available under Texas law.

How Texas Human Trafficking Lawyer Jason Coomer Can Help

Human Trafficking Survivor Claims

We pursue civil claims on behalf of trafficking survivors against traffickers under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 98.

Hotel and Hospitality Liability Claims

We hold hotels, motels, and other hospitality businesses accountable when they knowingly benefit from trafficking or ignore clear warning signs occurring on their property.

Online Platform and Technology Liability Claims

We pursue claims against social media companies and other technology platforms that facilitated trafficking, enabled online grooming, or ignored reports of exploitation.

Staffing Agency and Business Liability Claims

We investigate staffing agencies, transportation providers, property owners, and other businesses that knowingly benefited from or failed to address labor and sex trafficking.

Child Trafficking and Online Grooming Claims

We advocate for children and teenagers exploited through online grooming, and pursue accountability against organizations that failed to respond to warning signs of abuse.

Wrongful Death Claims

When human trafficking results in a loved one's death, we represent surviving family members in wrongful death claims against those responsible.

How Long Do I Have to File a Human Trafficking Lawsuit?

Federal and Texas law provide survivors with significant time to pursue civil claims, although filing deadlines depend on the specific facts of each case. Different rules may apply when the survivor was a minor or when other legal exceptions exist. Because important evidence can disappear over time, it is best to speak with a human trafficking lawyer as soon as possible to understand your rights and preserve your claim.

Depending on the facts of the case, responsible parties may include individuals who directly participated in the trafficking, as well as businesses or organizations that knowingly benefited from trafficking or failed to take reasonable steps to address warning signs.

Every human trafficking wrongful death case involves unique circumstances, and liability depends on the evidence available and the actions or failures of the responsible parties. Our firm helps victims and their families investigate what happened, identify all potentially responsible parties, and pursue accountability for the harm caused by trafficking-related deaths.

The Lasting Impact of Human Trafficking

The effects of trafficking often continue long after the exploitation ends. Survivors may experience serious physical injuries, chronic health conditions, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and difficulty rebuilding relationships. Many also face interrupted education, lost employment opportunities, financial hardship, and years of emotional recovery. Healing is rarely immediate, and many survivors require ongoing medical treatment, counseling, and community support. A civil lawsuit cannot erase what happened, but it can provide financial resources for recovery while holding those responsible accountable for the harm they caused.

Civil lawsuits do more than seek financial compensation for survivors. They can expose systemic failures, encourage businesses to improve employee training, strengthen reporting procedures, enhance security measures, and adopt practices designed to identify and prevent future trafficking. By holding every responsible party accountable, civil litigation can help survivors obtain justice while encouraging meaningful changes that reduce the risk of exploitation in the future.

Contact Texas Human Trafficking Lawyer Jason Coomer

No one should suffer exploitation while businesses or organizations profit by looking the other way. Survivors deserve to be heard, supported, and treated with dignity throughout the legal process. Jason Coomer, a trusted Texas human trafficking lawyer, is dedicated to helping survivors and their families who have been harmed by exploitation, abuse, and trafficking. He understands the physical, emotional, and financial impact human trafficking can have on survivors and works closely with clients to explain their legal options and guide them through the civil claims process. With his experience, he fights to hold traffickers, businesses, and organizations accountable while helping survivors pursue the justice and compensation they deserve.

Contact Jason Coomer's human trafficking law firm for a FREE CASE EVALUATION. Reach out today by email, text, or call 866-474-1477 (toll free) for further guidance and support in pursuing a human trafficking claim.