Shaking a child is never an acceptable form of punishment, and our law firm will fight on your child’s behalf to hold abusive daycare workers legally responsible for their actions. Call us at 1-877-403-9378 for a free consultation.
When a child is vigorously shaken by an adult, the violent back and forth movement causes the infant’s brain to strike the inside of the skull. This trauma can cause ruptured blood vessels, nerve damage, tearing of brain tissue, as well as bruising or bleeding of the brain. This is a deliberate form of child abuse, and can lead to very serious injuries such as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
The heads of babies are delicate and feature sensitive blood vessels and muscles that are still in the growth phase. In addition, the neck muscles of infants, toddlers and young children aren’t fully-developed, and thus cannot provide resistance to such violent abuse.
Daycare workers who (out of frustration or even malice) hold children by their shoulders and shake them in an effort to get them to be quiet are clearly NOT fit to care for a child, and should be held fully accountable for their actions, both criminally and civilly. If they’re not held accountable and removed from the daycare facility, how many more children will suffer the same type of abuse?
Here are some of the ways you can determine if your child has suffered abusive head trauma (or shaken baby syndrome):
- Dilated pupils
- Swelling of the head
- Bloodshot eyes
- Inconsistency in eating
- Irregular breathing patterns
- Irritability
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Detachment of the retina
- Exhaustion
- Loss of consciousness
- A rigid and unnatural posture
These signs can point to a serious condition which needs to be addressed by a physician to mitigate any additional complications to your child’s health and wellbeing going forward. It’s not uncommon for a child to develop serious spinal cord injuries, partial blindness, speech problems, behavioral and learning disabilities and so much more from just one shaking incident.
Shaken Baby Syndrome: Hard to Prove
Shaken baby syndrome cases (and daycare abuse cases in general) are complex, and with good reason. Most parents do not know this, but even if criminal charges are never filed, you may absolutely still have a valid civil claim. Through a civil claim (or lawsuit), you may be able to recover monetary compensation to cover losses such as medical bills, future medical costs, alternative child care, missed work, and more.
In order for you to win your case, your lawyer must first show that the daycare worker acted in a negligent manner to cause the injury. Second, he or she must show that this negligence resulted in an injury (there needs to be medical records from a doctor stating that injury took place). In most situations, the daycare center needs to have an applicable insurance policy for them to pay out your claim, but this is not always required.
We know you and your family are going through a tough situation right now, and we don’t want to make it any harder on you. By hiring Rasansky Law Firm to handle your claim (for no charge to you), we’ll handle the legal issues while you take care of your child. Call us today at 1-877-403-9378 for your free consultation.