Denver Infant Injury Attorneys Shaken Baby

Serious injuries can be traumatic in any instance. But when the injury involves an innocent, defenseless child, the heartbreak is overwhelming.

The Denver injury lawyers at Rosenthal & Heymann deal with tragic, life-changing accident injuries everyday. Yet nothing is as shocking as discovering a baby has been severely injured at the hands of another. It is unfathomable to understand how these types of tragic acts can still occur, and we are dedicated to helping those families who have become victims fight for justice.

We will move aggressively to ensure your infant is receiving the care and medical attention he or she deserves and will begin building your legal case immediately, by hiring the medical experts and other qualified professionals necessary to ensure you receive the financial compensation you need and deserve to cope with the serious or life-threatening injuries of a shaken baby.

At Rosenthal & Heymann, we will also work to ensure the person responsible is brought to justice by advocating your rights with police and prosecutors and by coordinating with the state attorney’s office to keep you aware of any developments in a criminal case involving your child’s injuries.

Shaken baby syndrome, sometimes called abusive head trauma, takes place when an infant suffers one or more serious injuries from being violently shaken. Traumatic brain injury can occur as the baby’s fragile brain is jarred violently against the skull, which causes swelling, bruising and bleeding. Other damage can include hemorrhages in the retina of the eyes, neck and spinal cord damage, and rib or other bone fractures.

Frequently, shaken babies also have damaged or broken ribs or limbs and growth plates along joint areas can also be damaged. Generally, the injuries are triggered when a caregiver cannot get the baby to behave in a certain manner, becomes overly frustrated and takes violent, physical action in an attempt to control the child.

To make matters worse, the symptoms of shaken baby injuries can go unnoticed for long periods of time. As they are not visible injuries, people are often at a loss to explain the different behavior patterns the baby exhibits, and the injuries can then go untreated.

Although the majority of shaken babies are 2 years old or younger, it has been documented in children as old as 5. When compared to accidental traumatic brain injury in infants, injuries from shaking a baby have a much more serious outcome. Retina damage in the eye can result in blindness.

Even if the infant survives the severe shaking, he or she will likely have some form of mental disability or neurological disorder, such as mental retardation or cerebral palsy. Sadly, this damage may not be fully apparent before 6 years of age. Shaken baby injuries may require lifelong medical care for the child, and the emotional and financial toll it takes on the baby’s family can be almost unbearable.

Estimates indicate that between 1,200 to 1,400 cases of shaken baby injuries happen every year in this country. And while only 25% of those injuries result in fatalities, all shaken baby victims will require some form of ongoing medical treatment, and may suffer medical complications for the remainder of his or her life.

Shaken baby injuries can occur at the hand of an outside caregiver, babysitter, daycare provider, or other non-family member who is responsible for caring for the infant. In such cases, it is critical to seek qualified legal advice so that the person responsible is brought to justice and prevented from causing additional harm. 

In other cases, when a family member is responsible, it is equally critical to seek qualified legal assistance to ensure that insurance companies and other responsible parties do not attempt to avoid their financial responsibilities for the care and treatment of an injured infant.

According to the Epilepsy Association of Central Florida:

• 50% of offenders are natural parents of the victim
• 17% are non-relatives
• 17% are the mother’s boyfriend
• 6% are stepparents
• 10% are in other categories
• More than 60% of victims are male
• Approximately 80% of offenders are male

From January through March 2009, there were 12 suspected cases of shaken baby syndrome at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs alone – almost half the total number for the entire year prior.
 
If you or a family member has been victimized by someone responsible for inflicting shaken baby injuries, the Denver infant injury lawyers at Rosenthal & Heymann will move immediately and aggressively to protect your rights.

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