Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Parents, caregivers, day care providers, teachers, babysitters, siblings, and other should pay attention to some simple but important advice – NEVER EVER SHAKEN A BABY. Babies and infants are very fragile. There brains and skulls are still developing. A person would not typically throw a television or glass to the floor. As such, why shake a baby? A television or glass can be replaced. A baby’s brain function, health, and welfare are not as easily fixed or replaced. Severe medical complications can and do result from Shaken Baby Syndrome. You can read more about this topic at Never, Never Shake a Baby. See also Shaken Baby Syndrome – Texas Man Alleged to Have Caused Injuries to Child.
In Bartlesville, Oklahoma, a 4 year old suffered serious personal injuries in the form of a skull fracture. The boy also suffered bruises on his chest, upper shoulders, back, and legs. David Wymon Laird, faces criminal charges of child abuse. At first, Laird denied that he harmed the child but he later admitted to police, according to a news story, that boy was harmed when Laird was disciplining the child. The boy was transported to Tulsa’s Children’s Hospital where he was treated with these serious life threatening personal injuries.
In Howard County, Maryland, Judge Timothy McCrone sentenced Michael Adegoke Oye-Adeniran to a 20 year prison term for crimes committed against his niece. Prosecutors brought a case against this man for an incident involving a scalding incident. The allegations were that this man got angry when the child soiled herself so he put her feet into water that was 160 degrees. The severe heat of the water caused severe personal injuries to the child who was 2 years old at the time. The water was so hot that she suffered second and third degree burns to her feet. It was reported that the water was so hot that her toenails melted off. (
In New York and other States, parents bring their children to day care centers with the hope and expectation that their children will be cared for in a safe and caring environment. Unfortunately, some day care workers and child care providers prey children enrolled in day care centers. Some children suffer personal injuries due to neglect or physical abuse. Others suffer at the hands of a child care provider who makes the decision to molest and sexually assault a small child. In Irondequoit, New York, a day care worker has been accused of molesting a 7 year old girl. Police arrested Joseph M. Calabrese, age 24, who has been criminally charged with endangering the welfare of a child and with sexual abuse. Mr. Calabrese was working at Generations Daycare at the time of the alleged criminal conduct. Since Mr. Calabrese has been arrested and faces criminal charges, he will be entitled to legal representation from a private New York criminal attorney or a qualified public defender. News report did not detail the exact evidence that supported this criminal investigation. In many day care cases of this nature, evidence varies from witness statements, photographs, video surveillance, admissions of the suspect, documents, e mails, and text messages. It will be interesting to see how this criminal prosecution develops and what evidence is ultimately revealed to support these allegations. You can read more about this story at Irondequoit, 
In Iowa and Other States, parents, step parents, and boyfriend / girlfriends of parents often show poor judgment and violent tendencies when disciplining children. Beatings and whippings may be the way things were done years ago; however, these forms of punishment are often times cruel and unusual and in some cases criminal. In Sioux City, Iowa, Tyrone James (age 32) was sentenced to a 2 year prison term after entering a guilty plea of charges of child endangerment. Allegations in this case involved two children who were hit by belts, tree branches and extension cords. The mother of children also pled guilty to criminal charges. See
In Martinsville, Indiana, police were called to a day care center after the child began throwing a fit. It was reported by Fox News that one police officer slapped the child and another tasered the child for 1 to 2 seconds. The child’s guardian operates the day care center. Some argue that the tasering of a child is an excessive way to punish or control a child. Others may not have a problem with tasering, corporal punishment or other physical harm to a child.
