Baby who suffered burns when he pulled soup onto himself settles case for €41,000
A five year old boy who, when he was a baby, pulled a bowl of soup on top of himself at a coffee shop and suffered burns has settled his High Court action for €41,000.
Little Otto Devine was only six months old when he sustained superficial scald burns to his arms and legs, about three per cent of his body, Mr Justice Kevin Cross was told.
The baby was visiting the coffee shop at the Airfield Estate, Dundrum , Dublin with his father and grandfather when the accident occurred on May 10, 2015.
His counsel Carl Hanahoe BL told the court soup and sandwiches were delivered directly to the table and the soup was allegedly placed in front of the infant who grabbed the bowl spilling the liquid over himself.
Counsel said it was their contention soup should not be delivered at a temperature which would burn and placed on the table before a child.
Otto Devine of Abbeyfield, Milltown,Dublin had through his father Conor Devine sued the Airfield Estate as a result of the accident. Liability was at issue in the case.
The baby was taken by ambulance to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin where he was discovered to have partial thickness burns to both hands, his left leg and right foot.
He was also noted to have a redness to the right side of his face right hand and the inside of his left elbow.
In total three per cent of the boy’s body suffered burns and he was referred to the plastic surgery department where his wounds were cleaned and sterile dressings applied.
The little baby was in hospital for eight days but two days after admission he went into early toxic shock syndrome and developed a fever. The boy’s condition improved and he was discharged from hospital on May 18, 2015.
Mr Justice Cross was told the boy has been left with three areas of minor scarring.
Approving the settlement, the judge said he was glad Otto had made a good recovery from a nasty injury, adding: ‘He probably has no memory of the thing.’
