That’s exactly what happened, as a recent court ruling has brought to light. It featured a baby girl who had to be hospitalized after the amputation of a severely infected leg. By November, the infant was hospitalized, crying “nearly inconsolably.” Medical examinations found that she had a completely displaced spiral fracture of her right femur.
Judge Eleanor Owens, who heard the case, focused her analysis on the situation that resulted in injury to the child. Throughout the hearings, she came to the determination that one of the parents had likely perpetrated the injury. She said she was never able to tell which parent it was on. The judge called this a “momentary lapse” on the part of one parent.
It’s still not public what exactly caused the injury. Medical experts noted that a fracture of this nature typically results from “very forceful twisting or rotational action coupled with a compressive, or a pulling, force.” This valuable perspective produces valid concerns about the context in which the injury occurred.
Both parents stayed in touch with us and continued to communicate their profound love for their daughter. This factor played a crucial role in the judge’s assessment, as they stressed the family’s overall commitment to the child’s well-being.
Yet the injury was likely incurred in a temporary, distracted state. Owens declared the understanding negligence as well. He stressed this was not evidence of bad faith or negligence in treating the child.
This tragic case has led to an important discussion about child safety and parental responsibility. As this important case moves forward, it’s essential to understand how these devastating injuries occur. We need to do far better at finding meaningful ways to keep them from happening going forward.
