2009 – $950,000 Confidential Settlement

A $950,000 settlement in a premises liability case. A four (4) year old boy in Lawrenceburg, Anderson County, placed his hand in a meat grinder that his father had left running at his Chinese restaurant. The child’s hand was ground down to his wrist. The defense argued pre-litigation that the doctrine of “parental immunity” applied and the father and restaurant could not be held liable because the father was the one who was negligent. Legal research revealed that this doctrine was abolished in the 1970s except for two limited circumstances which did not apply to this case of negligent supervision. A life care planner and vocational expert were retained and the case settled at mediation. A substantial portion of the settlement was structured with the largest payment being $1,055,195 to the child when he reaches the age of 25 and may be a candidate for a potential hand transplant. At present, hand transplantation is still in its experimental stages.