It could be considered common knowledge that babies are very fragile beings. As a result, parents and other caretakers must be careful when handling babies in order to avoid causing serious injury. Unfortunately, not all parties may take such caution, and a baby could suffer serious brain injuries if he or she is subjected to physical harm.
It was recently reported that a child in Ohio suffered serious injuries after an incident with a babysitter. Reports stated that the babysitter reportedly became frustrated with the baby because the baby was being fussy. One of the baby’s older siblings stated that the babysitter threw the baby onto the couch. The mother of the child came home and immediately realized something was wrong with the baby due to her sporadic breathing.
After the baby was taken to the hospital, it was determined that she had severe bleeding on the brain and in her eyes. Though there was no external physical trauma noted, the situation is likely the result of shaken baby syndrome. The babysitter is currently facing felony charges for assault and child endangerment. He initially denied hurting the child, but later stated that he may have hurt her but did not mean to.
Because this situation led to the baby suffering serious brain injuries, the mother may wish to file a claim against the babysitter. Though he is currently facing criminal charges, the mother may be able to file a civil claim of her own for compensation of medical bills, the child’s suffering and other damages permissible under Ohio law. If the man is convicted of the charges leveled against him, that outcome could be used as evidence in a related civil case.
Source: sanduskyregister.com, “Police: Infant suffers bleeding on brain, could die after babysitter roughed her up“, Courtney Astolfi, Aug. 4, 2015