As most people in New York and across the country are aware, the brain is an amazing organ. Because of all the many important roles it plays, however, damage to the brain can have permanent, significant consequences. Unfortunately, officials in another state claim that an infant has suffered an irreparable child injury after being shaken by the woman who was providing care while the child’s mother worked.
Reports indicate that the baby was healthy at 7:30 a.m. when the mother left the child with a friend while she went to work. However, the caretaker contacted the mother around noon, indicating that the child had stopped breathing after choking on milk. The baby was transported to the hospital where it was determined that the child had suffered a traumatic brain injury, among others.
Officials say that when confronted with evidence that the child’s injuries did not match the caregiver’s account, she confessed to shaking the baby for approximately two minutes because the child would not stop crying. Reports indicate that she demonstrated the actions on a doll provided by child enforcement officials. She is now facing child abuse charges and is being held on bond. Reports indicate that the child is in a persistent vegetative state and is not expected to survive.
It is hard to imagine what the parents of the infant are experiencing as they come to terms with the injuries their child has suffered and their potential implications. While coping with their grief, they may also be confronted with the financial implications of the incident; the costs of treating such injuries can quickly become astronomical. As such, they may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit as a result of the child injury. Many families in New York who have been forced to cope with the consequences of a traumatic brain injury as a result of another person’s negligence have chosen such a path.