$280,000 Urged for Scalded Boy
A child scalded with hot water while living in a Sylmar foster home should be awarded $280,000 for pain and suffering and medical bills, the Los Angeles County Claims Board recommended Monday.
The boy--identified only as Steve S.--was 3 years old at the time and is 7 now, a county official said.
He suffered burns over about 18% of his body that will require years of surgery and other medical attention, county officials said.
After the accident, the boy was removed from the foster home.
The lawsuit against the county was filed by his current foster parents who are seeking to adopt him. In April 1992, a previous set of foster parents told Department of Children and Family Services workers that they did not want to adopt Steve because they could not provide him with adequate attention, according to a county report. The child was scalded in November 1993 while being bathed.
County attorneys found that the child’s caseworker should have investigated the situation inside the home immediately, rather than waiting until after the scalding.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the settlement within the next month.
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