Negligent Abuse Investigations
Too frequently, when calls are made to state abuse registries on behalf of abused and neglected children, that result in investigations, investigators miss the red flags and close the investigations as unfounded. Many times, there have been patterns of investigations where children are not protected by investigators and child welfare agencies who are supposed to protect them. In some of these cases, when children are seriously injured or die, Justice for Kids attorneys will file lawsuits to recover amounts for the care and treatment of these children or to vindicate the loss of a child to innocent parents.
- Broward Sheriff’s Office Questioned for Management of Abuse Allegations Involving Infant Who Suffered Injuries, Brain Damage. A $1.575 million settlement brought an abrupt end to a Fort Lauderdale trial that questioned the Broward Sheriff’s Office for its management of abuse allegations involving an infant who suffered injuries and brain damage, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. “Sheriff Lamberti did the right thing by resolving the 5-year-old child’s claim as a result of a lawsuit for a negligent protective investigation, which occurred during a prior administration,” said Howard Talenfeld, one of the plaintiff attorney’s trying the case. The newspaper went on to report that the insurance company for the Sheriff’s Office reached the deal with attorneys for Jace Manning, now 5, who was left developmentally disabled after his skull was fractured in February 2006. Two months before the boy’s severe injuries, Jace was hospitalized with an unexplained bruise under his chin, and his grandmother implored authorities to remove him from the Coral Springs, FL apartment where he lived with his mother and her boyfriend. Read the entire story here.
- Lawsuit Against DCF and Private Community-Based Child Welfare Providers for Negligent Investigation, Failure to Protect Children from Foreseeable Abuse and Neglect. This lawsuit was filed in Lake County, FL against DCF and private community-based child welfare providers for negligent investigation and failure to protect two young children from foreseeable abuse and neglect in the care of their mother and her paramour. Despite the high-risk factors present due to unexplained injuries to both children, the family was placed under Voluntary Protective Supervision with no court oversight. The family relocated from Osceola County to Lake County and the case was closed without court intervention despite the significant risk to the children. Four months later, the boy, who was sixteen months old, died due to abuse and was found to have numerous fractures in various stages of healing and a skull fracture. The girl, who was two years old, witnessed her brother’s murder and was also found to have several fractures and other injuries. The case resolved against DCF for sovereign immunity limits of $200,000 and for an undisclosed amount as to the private agencies.
Regions Served by Kelley Kronenberg: