Damages of €27,500 for child scalded in Chinese restaurant

An eight-month-old girl who was scalded when she pulled a bowl of boiling water over herself at a dinner table, has been awarded €27,500 damages against a Chinese restaurant.

Barrister Rory O’Reilly told the Circuit Civil Court that Lilly Caulfield’s dad rushed her to the restaurant bathroom to pour cold water over her injuries after the incident in February 2014.

Pieces of scalded skin came away from the child’s right arm as her parents removed her clothes in the toilet area of the Royal Plaza Chinese Restaurant in Meakstown, Finglas, Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke heard.

Mr O’Reilly, who appeared with O’Reilly Doherty Solicitors, told the court Lilly was sitting in a high chair in with her family before the incident. Her mother, Lisa Caulfield, of Shangan Park, Ballymun, asked for some warm water to heat up some baby food for Lilly.

He said the water was placed before the child by a waiter and before her parents could react she had pulled the bowl of boiling water down on herself, burning her right arm, chest and legs.

Splashed

Lilly’s father lifted her from the high chair and rushed to the toilet area and splashed cold water over her. She was taken by car to the Emergency Department of Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

Lilly was attended by nurses and plastic surgery staff at the hospital where she was found to have 1 per cent burns which were dressed. She was given pain killers before being allowed home and had to undergo painful re-dressings before her wounds healed, the court heard.

Counsel told the court Lilly, who is almost five now, had suedChina Island Limited, which trades as Royal Plaza Restaurant, through her mother.

The Injuries Board had assessed damages at €12,000 which Judge Groarke had earlier deemed inadequate.

Mr O’Reilly said Lilly was subsequently reviewed by Kevin Cronin, a consultant plastic surgeon, whose opinion was that she had been left with a small indentation scar of a permanent nature on her right arm.

Judge Groarke approved a settlement offer by the restaurant of €27,500.