Opinion ID: 1906124
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The fatal injury, along with other injuries present on Little Jim's body, could have been caused by a series of accidental falls.

Text: On this point, also, Dr. Reeves' testimony was sufficient to raise a jury question. The defense raised the possibility that the subdural hematoma and other injuries might have been caused by Little Jim falling off a bunkbed or tumbling down dunes during an afternoon trip to the beach. Dr. Reeves reviewed in detail the pattern of marks and bruises on the body, described the type of blow which would cause the fatal injury, and concluded that studies have indicated and shown and personal experience has shown children falling don't sustain significant injuries ... [If] a child running 20 miles an hour through the room trips and falls head first on a pointed edge of something, yes, he could sustain an injury that could be significant, but it would cause a laceration and possibly a skull fracture, and other things we don't see [on the body of Little Jim]. It wouldn't give this diffuse pattern of injury. So I don't think that's plausible. This testimony was sufficiently at odds with Law's theory to send the question to the jury.