Dallas Jury Awards Billions.
A Dallas County jury recently awarded $1.1 billion to a young boy and his family after his stepfather was found responsible for severe abuse that caused detrimental and permanent injuries.
According to the lawsuit, the abuse began in 2021. Madison Ball trusted the boy’s stepfather, Charles Brooks Jr., to watch her child – instead, Brooks lied about the pair’s whereabouts and “almost killed” the 2-year-old.
Ball was contacted when Brooks stated that her son fell from a kitchen table and was “non-responsive.” She immediately requested to video call her husband and states that at this point, her child was having difficulty breathing. Charles Brooks Jr. claimed that Ball’s concern was unnecessary and assured her that the toddler would “sleep it off” and had been “revived in an ice bath” already.
The lawsuit also states that Brooks refused to seek medical attention for the boy and threatened Ball: he warned that he would "snap her neck" and "fucking kill her" if she called an ambulance or police.
Madison Ball was able to seek medical attention for her son, and once in the hospital, he spent months in a medically induced coma. His injuries included a “severe brain bleed, a traumatic brain injury, adult bite marks on his legs, and multiple forms of organ and neurological damage.”
Once described as a “healthy, energetic toddler,” Ball’s 7-year-old son will now require lifelong medical care around the clock.
To some, Charles Brooks Jr. claimed the boy had been in a car accident. To others, he said the toddler had fallen down the stairs. Brooks attempted to evade arrest until he was captured and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
The verdict awarded $291 million in compensatory damages to aid Ball in long-term care for her son and $810 million in punitive damages due to Brooks' "egregious, reckless, and sickening conduct."
Lead counsel Tony Buzbee said of the verdict: “We claim to value children in our society. This Texas jury stepped up and showed that.”
Authors: Andy Goldwasser and Alex Kabat
