A judge is being asked to approve a $20,000 settlement to resolve a lawsuit brought on behalf of a 12-year-old boy who was seriously injured after his foot got caught in the base of the Los Angeles Zoo carousel ride in 2023 while he was stepping off at the end of the attraction.
Attorneys for the boy filed court papers with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jerrold Abeles on Tuesday asking that the accord be approved during a hearing scheduled Sept. 16. When attorneys’ fees, medical costs and other expenses are deducted from the settlement, the net proceeds to the boy would be just under $11,000, according to the petition.
The boy was injured at about 1:15 p.m. Oct. 21, 2023, when he was riding the carousel and it stopped without warning, the suit stated. The child’s foot became trapped under a surface and he fell, suffering three breaks in one leg, the suit brought in February 2024 stated.
The boy received on-site medical care, but the suit alleged the city was negligent in allowing a hazardous condition to exist.
In their previous court papers, lawyers for the City Attorney’s Office denied the lawsuit’s allegations while also contending that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations and that the city was immune from liability.
The ride features 64 hand-carved wooden figures and a universally accessible standing chariot.