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Lucas Lear Still Suffering From Injuries After Being Shaken by Daycare Worker Cheryl Alston

An at home daycare operator in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (NC) is under investigation today for the charge of harm to a child in her care. Cheryl Alston was arrested last week and has been ordered by a judge in Orange County, North Carolina (NC) not to operate her in-home daycare center and has had her license revoked by the North Carolina (NC) Division of Child Development.

The tragic incident all started two months ago when Chris Lear came to the home in Chapel Hill to find his seven month old son Lucas Lear limp in Cheryl Alston’s arms. By the time Chris Lear had arrived Alston was already on the phone with 9-1-1 claiming she had discovered Lucas Lear unresponsive in his car seat. According to Alston, she had changed the baby’s diaper, returned him to his car seat, gone to wash her hands, and was returning when she noticed the baby was unresponsive. She then removed the baby from the car seat and was attempting to revive Lucas while dialing 9-1-1.

Fortunately, paramedics were able to revive Chris Lear’s child, however it is has been a constant struggle for the baby since the incident at the daycare. Lucas Lear has spent the past two months hooked to machines in the neonatal unit of UNC Hospitals located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (NC).

Lucas has managed to survive this horrible incident and the Lear family is working with a local personal injury attorney to sue Alston and her daycare center. The Lear family and their attorney have spent the last two months compiling a case that shows the massive head injury that lead to loss of vision and lengthy hospital stays for Lucas Lear was the result of intentional physical harm.

It is always a sad and sobering moment when any child receives harm at the hands of an adult, especially a trusted daycare worker. While these tragic incidents are not common, they do happen. If your children are already in daycare, or you have a new baby set to start daycare soon there are a few measures you can take to reduce the likelihood of injury. When selecting a daycare or at home nanny service ensure the company is licensed in North Carolina. While this is not required by law, it does provide an extra level of security. Also, be sure to get as many references for the daycare workers as possible and check them thoroughly.

Unfortunately, not every accident involving a child can be avoided. If your child has been involved in an accident, you have options. Seek the help of a personal injury attorney today. The attorneys at Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton, P.C are trained in dealing with these sensitive and tragic accidents and can help you get what you need for your child.

Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), with an office also in Elizabeth City, in Northeast North Carolina (NC), practicing primarily in the southeastern U.S. and handles only injury law, including car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our Carolina injur law website is: http://carolina.hsinjurylaw.com, the firm edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, as well as the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard and also hosts a YouTube injury law video library covering many FAQ’s on personal injury subjects. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

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