If my parent with dementia should get seriously injured or worse hit by a car and killed, would my husband, the POA, be liable?

I'm not sure of his liability, but your father in law definitely needs to be in a safer place. What is the reason your husband isn't pushing for in-home help or assisted living? You might not have the official authority, but you probably have a good enough relationship with your in-laws where you can talk to them and make suggestions. Who knows what could come from that.

I am hoping that someone else with a better grasp of the law can answer this.

Until you get him in a secure facility, see about getting an ankle bracelet with an alarm and/or a pad to put next to his bed which sets off an alarm when he steps on it.

We would need KatieGirl to comment further; perhaps her husband is trying to get the parents or at least the father to go into a home but is meeting resistance.

If there's no guardian then the person would be liable for themselves until such time a guardian takes over

POA is not personally financially liable for damages caused by an accident, expense involved would be paid by the grantor of the POA. However, POA would be responsible for working through the legal system on behalf of the grantor if not competent and if the POA has been activated.

Katie, I see by your profile that your Dad is living in Independent Living, is that correct, or do you mean he is living on his own in his own home?

Since your Dad is in the wandering stage of dementia, he really needs to have around the clock care.   Either by hiring caregivers in 8 hour shifts, or having him move to Assisted Living Memory Care where the residents are watched so they don't leave the building.   Both options are expensive.

Both you and hubby need to do something.   Right now write down everything you are doing to help eliminate this situation.   Even if it means, that either you or hubby spend time at Dad's home until other options are set into place.   I don't know the legality for the Power of Attorney, but I wouldn't want to take that chance.

Be very careful if the patient is incompetent and just has a POA when really a guardian is needed. If an incompetent person has only a POA but no guardian, big red flag because the POA can use their position to manipulate not only the incompetent person, but they can also take other measures to make themselves beneficiary of everything that rightfully belongs to the family of the incompetent person. This is where rightful heirs will have to fight through the legal system for restoration of what rightfully belongs to them. Cases vary, but if the case is anything like what I'm facing right now in the case of my bio dad, You may be looking at getting a lawyer who can spot suspicious activity regarding the elders assets. I can't help but be shocked at just how common this happens to be and I hope our new president Donald Trump can do something to stop this kind of thing in its tracks. another thing I hope happens is he can set certain consequences in place to really cracked down on people stealing from our elders and their families. I think new laws and serious consequences are definitely needed if they don't already exist because thieves really need to start facing the music for what they're doing. People who steal from our elders are also stealing from right full legal heirs who are rightfully entitled to assets. Stealing from elders, thieves don't even realize who they may be hurting in that person's family, it may actually be someone in desperate need who is more entitled to the assets than the thief is. This is why we must step up and actually protect our elders from vultures because protecting elders is also protecting their families

It say the "parents", plural. So the father is living in his own home with the OP's MIL? Is she the obstacle/enabler?

I would seek a legal opinion from an attorney in your jurisdiction. I would specifically ask what duty, if any, an adult child has to an incompetent parent. Also, does your husband have Healthcare POA? If so, let the attorney he consults with know this.

I'd also explore protecting FIL's assets. If FIL wanders into traffic and causes others to get hurt, the injured or estate of the victims, may seek damages from FIL. The fact that the had dementia may not preclude him from liability. There are so many liability issues that could be possible. It sure seems like a risky thing to sit by and allow to happen. I'd get legal advice PRONTO and treat it as an emergency.

I've been told, at least in Wisconsin, POA is not liable

Let's just NOT plan protection from liability for the POA.
Let's just NOT focus on the inevitable serious injury or killed by a car.

Get your parent placed safely now. Focus on getting the care he needs unless the POA has everything to gain by doing nothing. imo.

Yes, it's called vicarious liability. In other words, he is liable just the same as you would be for a child.  It is negligent to put someone you're legally in charge of in a high risk situation like this.

Parents never expect money when they raise you from birth to adulthood, so why would anyone do the same for caring for a vulnerable elderly parent, just to save money on much needed care.  We are past the times of Charles Dickens with Oliver, surely.
 
Put their health and safety above money.

If you feel you have no say over this and you fear the worst, then report it to the relevant authority anonymously if you're worried about comeback.

In the U.K. we have Social Services for the elderly and disabled, as well as for children.

I'm confused why your husband was given POA for your parent though.  Is your husband controlling at home and appears like a saint to outsiders.  If so, report anonymously. This is your parent after all.

How would you like your children and their spouses to treat you.  Set an example, otherwise you might find yourself in the same crappy situation as your parent. 

When I was made POA for the health and finances for a married couple friends of mine and the wife became incontinent and started to wander, the lady I had hired to help care for her told me my friend was now a vulnerable adult and I would be held responsible if I didn't find a better situation to their living independently in their own condo. I began the final stages of getting them into a memory care apartment in an assisted living facility where the memory car floor is a locked facility and needs special key fobs to leave. It is expensive, but both she and her husband had long term care insurance which would help cover this, plus their pensions and social security. I was pleased with the care offered and the advice the nurse in charge could give to me as her frontal temporal dementia worsened. She only lasted another 5 months before her brain was shutting down and she could no longer swallow. They had all the paperwork about end of life care done when I was made their POA two years earlier and I am also the executor of their will, so I know what their wishes were should their estate have any money left. I make sure not one cent comes to me in the meantime, even for justifiable reimbursements for my travel costs between my house and the AL place. I am fortunate, in a sense, that there are no family members second-guessing my decisions or trying to get any of their estate, but I am trying to get the most meaningful things to them as I go through their condo and all the things they saved about their family heritage. I will not just discard them. It is like a second job and I have a lot to learn, but there is so much good advice out there that any questions I have are answered with good suggestions. It is important to get him in a secure facility, however you manage it. I had the same conversations 4 times with the husband who was adamant that they could live on their own and each time he agreed they should go to this facility and each time he forgot he had agreed. But the day of the move went well and I was able to make their "new" apartment look just like their bedroom and den in their condo where they spent all their time, so it looked like "home" when they got there. Once they were safe, the "emergency" was over and life could take its course without accidents or suffering. I keep the husbands family informed occasionally about his health and well-being, but they live far away and have their own troubles to deal with. They appreciate the information but I and my friend hear little back from them.

No, the POA is not responsible. If dad has a valid driver's license, you cannot stop them from driving. Not w/o drama.
Mother FINALLY stopped when she had her hip replaced and required the use of a walker, 24/7. Brother made her show him how she would maneuver that and herself into the car. She couldn't even begin to do it, so the car keys were taken and she figured out other transportation. At first she was beyond furious, as I am sure anyone would be--that's the last "freedom"! But when we asked her how she'd feel if she hit a child or caused a serious accident--she saw the light.
Sometimes it just takes a good talking to--sometimes you have to take the car keys or put a lock on the steering wheel.

You are liable. Because it is our responsibility as drivers and POA's to inform the Motor Vehicle Department, of any medical changes that would impair the ability to drive safely. As well as this, you would not let a child drive. Being a POA you are as responsible as you would be letting a child drive.

As an individual you are responsible for yourself driving, and thus liable if something happens. If you are a POA, you have vicarious liability.

As far as drama removing the keys, ring the police and show your POA documentation and why you have POA (i.e. parents dementia).  They will assist you in removing the keys with no drama.  Report your parents illness to the Motor Vehicle Department, so their driving licence is revoked.

Do you want to be responsible for someone being killed with the car?

Oh, I totally had mis-read this. Your father is wandering, not driving.....wow. I still don't think POA is responsible. People are going to "escape" all the time, how could a POA be insured that his loved one is really where they should be?
We have a Memory care facility in our neighborhood. Probably once a week, some resident sneaks out and this staff is really sharp and on task--the wanderers "sneak into" a group of people who go there to sing to them, and pow, you have a runner. There's one gent who escapes, walks about 100 yards and back and comes back to his room. He just needs to be free, I guess, but even though he IS wearing a "monitor" it cannot be heard over the sound of the doorbell (alarm) going off as we come and go.
I'd hate to be his POA.
Probably differs from state to state.

You gave the impression it was your father and he was driving, sorry about this.

All the same, you need to persuade your husband to check out different memory care facilities.

Put your father in laws safety first. Check out the medical insurance and see what it covers.

The question you have to ask is, if your capacity to assess risks and safety was gone; would you prefer to be at continuous risk like being run over, or would you prefer to be somewhere safe.

I believe this original poster said that FIL was wandering and getting picked up by the police. He wasn't driving, but walking. However, a confused and disoriented person can wander into traffic and cause an accident. It could cause someone to hit him or hit another car attempting to avoid hitting him. Needless to say, the wandering is a danger. It's very risky and I would think that a family member would do something to protect his life, whether it's notifying his doctor of the wandering or notifying adult protective services.

When my cousin began wander, her doctor ordered Secure Memory Care immediately. As her POA, I was relieved and promptly had her transferred there.

For what its worth I would address the escaping. There are loads of things on the market today that MAY (and I must stress may not will) help. There are pressure pads that are under the doormat that when he stands on it will speak to him (of course whether he pays any attention is a different matter). You can record the message or perhaps someone to whom he does pay attention could record it.(my mother wouldn't give a hoot what I said but if a man says it then it is a different matter)

Failing that you can now get beams that when he walks through will trigger an alarm again you can record a message.

You can get a GPS tracker so that if he does get out he is very findable and very quickly findable. My daughter works for the police and just before Xmas they found a woman who had escaped from a care home. Now bearing in mind this woman walks with a frame AND the frame was still in the home, she was found 3 miles away - no-one knows how she got that far but the police didn't think she had an issue with mobility - they knew she had dementia - the nightie and dressing gown was a big giveaway. She was very poorly because she had got cold but had she had a tracker they could have picked her up in a matter of minutes.

With door alarms you can get extra long distance ones, so that if a neighbour is keeping an eye for example they will be alerted - I think top range is about 3/4 mile

A huge stop sign on the door might help - you can get specialist guardian door locks but not for an external door - anything that totally prevents the person's egress is a fire hazard, what you have to do is minimise the risk. Once they are out of the house though you can prevent them going out of the gate because the fire risk is diminished.

POA's duty of care extends to health decisions or finance decisions or both but since they can be rescinded at any time I doubt whether a charge would stick. However the duty of care that we all have as citizens makes it appropriate to talk to people and let them know what is going on and ask for help for loved ones.