CHARLESTON — An estate administrator is suing a West Virginia state agency and employees, alleging their negligence caused the death of an infant.
Naomi Sweeney, administrator of the estate of Zachary Meadows, filed a lawsuit Oct. 11 in Kanawha Circuit Court against the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and Does 1 & 2, alleging the defendants breached their duty of care to protect Meadows.
According to the complaint, Meadows suffered continuing exposure to both abuse and neglect from his parents and died Oct 13, 2014, at the age of 5 weeks as a result of accidental asphyxia after co-sleeping with his adult parents.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants failed to investigate a report of abuse and neglect and failed to commence a thorough investigation of the report made by personnel at Raleigh General Hospital.
Sweeney seeks trial by jury, compensation for all damages, plus interest, attorney fees, court costs and expenses, and all other relief the court deems just. She is represented by attorneys Robert B. Warner, Lynnette Simon Marshall and Andrew D. Byrd of Warner Law Offices PLLC in Charleston, and by Stephen P. New and Mandy Gardner of Law Offices of Stephen P. New in Beckley.
Kanawha Circuit Court Case number 16-c-1549