RICHMOND — Henrico Doctors' has agreed to pay two more babies who were , bringing the total number of settlements to 11.
On Wednesday, Judge David Carson approved the agreements in Salem Circuit Court. The financial value of all 11 have been kept private. The Richmond Times-Dispatch is not identifying the victims or their families.Â
Under the agreement, the money will be placed in trusts for the children to access when they are older.
The settlements reached Wednesday are the final two in the case, said John Owen, an attorney for the firm Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman, who represented the hospital and its owner, HCA Healthcare.
People are also reading…
In 2023 and 2024, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital discovered babies in its neonatal intensive-care unit had suffered unexplained fractures. Prosecutors say the nature of the fractures suggests the babies were victims of abuse.
In 2023, administrators at Henrico Doctors' Hospital discovered four newborns had suffered unexplained fractures. The type and frequency of the injuries suggested the babies had been abused, health experts said. A year later, the hospital discovered more injured infants. The NICU treats infants born prematurely or with serious complications.
Police earlier this year arrested Erin Strotman, 27, a former nurse at the NICU. Henrico County prosecutors charged her with 20 counts of child abuse and malicious wounding in connection to nine of the children.
Two of the 11 children who received settlements in the civil case were not identified as victims in the separate criminal case. The threshold for establishing responsibility in a criminal matter can be higher than a civil one.
Strotman has not made a plea. She is free on bond and is expected to go to trial in early 2026. A judge will determine her fate.
Prosecutors say video evidence shows Strotman handling the children outside the standard of care. Strotman told a police officer she may have been too rough with one of the children, a prosecutor said earlier this year. Strotman's lawyer said she did not hurt any of the children intentionally.
"The actions of one nurse are not reflective of the excellent care this hospital provides to the community," said Owen, who has worked with Henrico Doctors' for about a decade.
Lawyers for the hospital approached the families in late 2024 and early 2025 in an effort to reach a settlement before they filed a lawsuit. The hospital finalized agreements with five families June 23 and four additional families June 27.
The hospital did not admit liability or negligence as part of the agreements. The hearings occurred three hours west of Richmond in Salem court in an effort to avoid the spotlight. Strotman was not named as a defendant in the civil filings.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs did not respond to a request for comment.
Coverage of the newborn babies injured at the Henrico Doctors' Hospital NICU
Prosecutors have accused Erin Strotman of abusing four newborn babies in 2023. They were the first victims the hospital identified, and their injuries triggered the initial investigation.Â
Prosecutors say they have discovered nine victims, all newborn babies.
A trial is tentatively scheduled for February 2026, but Strotman could be back in court next month facing new charges.Â
On Tuesday, prosecutors served Erin Strotman with six new charges of child abuse and malicious wounding as the case continues to expand.
On Monday prosecutors issued a direct indictment charging Erin Strotman with six counts of child abuse and malicious wounding. Prosecutors identified two new victims.
A prosecutor said Erin Strotman was taking medicine for panic disorders and indicated the nurse had a substance abuse problem.Â
Erin Strotman was charged with felony child abuse and malicious wounding after seven babies suffered unexplained fractures in the neonatal intensive care unit at Henrico Doctors' Hospital.Â
"We are both shocked and saddened by this development in the investigation and are focused on continuing to care for our patients and providing support to our colleagues who have been deeply and personally impacted by this investigation," a hospital official said.Â
