US EditionMontana jury finds state liable for negligence in child abuse case
CASCADE COUNTY, MONTANA, JUL 16 – The state was ordered to pay $11.2 million after a jury found it failed to protect an infant abused in 2009, resulting in permanent blindness and brain injury.
- A jury in Cascade County determined that Montana was negligent in its failure to protect six-month-old Seraphina Wilson from abuse in Great Falls in February 2009.
- The abuse occurred when Wilson's father's live-in girlfriend, Alicia Hocter, slammed her head repeatedly against a crib, and the state was aware of abuse reports by December 2008 but took no protective action.
- The jury determined that the state health and human services agency failed to take action despite prior reports and investigations concerning safety issues, which ultimately resulted in Wilson suffering permanent blindness and a traumatic brain injury.
- On July 14, the jury awarded $11.2 million to cover Wilson’s impaired life, pain, future care, medical costs, and lost earning capacity, with her attorney Raph Graybill calling the verdict an important measure of accountability.
- The case has a complex history with prior awards overturned by the Montana Supreme Court, but this ruling reinforces the state's responsibility to protect abused children and the need for proper investigations.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Cascade County jury finds state negligent, awards $11.2 million in child abuse case
A Cascade County jury has awarded $11.2 million to a girl who was physically assaulted at 6 months old and left with life-long, debilitating injuries. The jury found that the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services was negligent for not removing the girl from her living situation during a previous abuse investigation. It’s the second ruling of negligence for the state in this case — the first ruling was from a Cascade County judg…
ABC FOX Montana
Jury awards $11.2M in child abuse case where DPHHS was negligent
In 2022, a Cascade County jury awarded a young woman and her guardian more than $16 million against the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services for not properly investigating and halting abuse that will leave her dependent on…
Montana jury awards $11.2 million for abused infant
A jury has awarded $11.2 million to Seraphina "Sera" Wilson, who was severely abused as an infant in 2009, leaving her blind and with traumatic brain injuries.The civil trial determined that the State of Montana failed to properly investigate allegations of child abuse in Sera's case.The verdict was issued Monday in a case that dates back to February 2009, when Wilson was beaten by her father's live-in girlfriend, Alicia Hocter.The incident left…
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