In re Samantha M.
Opinion of the Court
Based on the credible testimony of the then two-year-old subject child’s treating physician that her injuries, which included multiple bruises to her face and body and a severe duodenal hematoma, were nonaccidental, coupled with the admission of respondents mother and paramour that each had participated in an elaborate lie to cover up the fact that the latter was alone with Samantha for several hours prior to her hospitalization for her injuries, we find that Family Court’s findings of child abuse and medical neglect were supported by a preponderance of the evidence. The court was entitled to disregard the testimony of respondents’ experts that the child’s injuries were a result of the undiagnosed disease Henoch-Schlein Purpura (see People v Wells, 53 AD3d 181, 191 [2008]), especially since neither expert actually examined her.
As to the finding that respondents medically neglected Samantha, while parents are not required to seek medical attention for every trifling affliction, the court must consider whether an ordinarily prudent parent would have sought medical assistance in the same situation (see Matter of Hofbauer, 47 NY2d 648, 654-655 [1979]; Matter of Faridah W, 180 AD2d 451 [1992], lv denied 80 NY2d 751 [1992]). Here, the evidence established, and both respondents admitted, that the child had been ill for at least two weeks prior to her hospital admission. Even crediting respondent mother’s argument that Samantha vomited “only” four or five times in the two weeks prior to her admission, among other symptoms, we find that this was enough to put an “ordinarily prudent parent” on notice that medical attention was required.
We agree that respondent Christopher T. was a person legally
Finally, we find that the acts committed by respondents demonstrated an impairment of judgment sufficient to support the derivative findings of abuse and neglect (Matter of Joshua R., 47 AD3d 465 [2008], lv denied 11 NY3d 703 [2008]). Concur— Tom, J.P., Mazzarelli, Saxe, Nardelli and Buckley, JJ.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.