HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A judge has accepted settlement agreements between several families and HCA Health Services of Virginia, the company that owns Henrico Doctor's Hospital, where multiple babies were allegedly abused in the NICU.
The settlement hearings took place Friday in Salem, Virginia, nearly three hours from the hospital.
According to a report in the Roanoke Times, attorney John Owen, who represented the hospital, said in court that the families wanted the hearings held out of town to avoid the spotlight.
Five families reached settlement agreements with the hospital chain for six babies.
The terms of these settlements are not public, so it's unclear how much money each child will receive.
Owen told CBS6 some of the money will be placed in a trust for the care and benefit of the children, while another portion will be received by the child when they reach adulthood.
Former NICU nurse Erin Strotman is charged with allegedly harming four of those babies in 2022 and 2023.
Watch: Text messages Virginia NICU nurse charged with abusing baby sent revealed in court
One of the babies whose family reached a settlement Friday died from something unrelated to Strotman.
Stephanie Grana, a lawyer with Cantor Grana Buckner and Bucci, represented the family of the sixth baby on Friday, and she said that baby experienced a fracture at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in 2023, but is not a part of the criminal case against Strotman.
A CBS 6 investigation found the hospital did not contact Child Protective Services for nearly 10 days after multiple radiologists reported they suspected abuse, violating state law that requires notification within 24 hours.
The Virginia Department of Health cited the hospital for not notifying CPS in 2023.
As CBS 6 was the first to report, the hospital put Strotman on paid administrative leave in 2023 after conducting an internal probe of four babies' injuries.
However, the hospital brought her back to work one year later, and within weeks, three more babies were discovered with broken bones.
According to the Roanoke Times, which was the first outlet to report the settlements, HCA's attorney told the court the hospital was "very sorry for this case" and promised "it will not happen again."
A judge will decide on proposed settlements involving four additional children later this week.
Peter Anderson, a lawyer with the Rawls Law Group representing two of the families in Friday's settlements, sent CBS6 the following statement about the settlements:
“These cases involve some of the most vulnerable among us—newborns who were exposed to unimaginable harm at the very start of their lives. A fair and timely settlement is not just about compensation, it’s about accountability and ensuring these children receive the care and support they’ll need for the rest of their lives. Settling these cases is an important step toward justice and healing for the families, and it sends a clear message that systemic failures in healthcare cannot be ignored. We appreciate HCA's efficient resolution of these claims."
Strotman's trial is scheduled for February 2026.
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