Wrongful Death and the Babysitter

Two small, unrelated infants lost their lives when under the care of a babysitter. The family of one of the victims sued the babysitter and the people who recommended her.

In this sad case, a babysitter was linked to two infant deaths a mere 11 weeks apart. The 43-year-old woman is facing a wrongful death lawsuit in at least one of the cases – the death of a 4-month-old infant. A local church in the area is also named in the same lawsuit after the pastor of the church recommended the babysitter to the child’s parents. The pastor did not tell the parents that another infant had died in her care just three months previously.

The court papers show that the parents of the 4-month-old infant took their son to the babysitter’s house. While there, the babysitter apparently positioned the baby to sleep on his stomach, something she admitted she knew was potentially dangerous. The sitter then left her home for an undetermined length of time, returning home to find the baby dead. The sitter reportedly called the police, but lied to them about her true whereabouts that day.

Oddly, the church pastor and the church called a news conference the day after the 4-month-old’s death to deny anyone had provided the sitter with references. The babysitter in this case is faced with charges that include neglect of a dependent, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, and obstruction of justice.

Could this have been a case of sudden infant death syndrome? It’s possible, but one wonders just how likely that would be since it was the second time in less than three months that two children had died in the sitter’s care. Add in the attempt to lie and obstruct justice, and the case seems to have a darker side to it that only a thorough investigation will be able to determine. Any first class Austin personal injury lawyer would be digging deeply into a case like this one.

If you have been in a similar situation, or have questions about something that happened to a loved one that looks like it may have been caused by negligence or recklessness, contact an Austin personal injury lawyer for a consultation. Don’t wait to act, or you may lose the opportunity to file a lawsuit.

Brooks Schuelke is an Austin personal injury attorney with Perlmutter & Schuelke PLLC. Contact an Austin injury lawyer at Civtrial.com or (512) 476-4944.