A high-end, five-star restaurant in University City is being sued for negligence by a family claiming their then 3-year-old girl was scalded by hot water when two servers bumped into each other.
The incident happened June 8, 2019, at the Din Tai Fung Taiwanese Restaurant on La Jolla Village Drive when the toddler was dining with her mother, Soo Yeon Kwon, and grandmother, Jung Jane Kwon, according to the lawsuit.
The mother and grandmother are also named in the suit claiming emotional distress after having witnessed what happened.
According to the lawsuit, "A male server was carrying a tray with a pitcher of scalding hot water, and a female server was talking to the plaintiffs. All of a sudden, the female server bumped into the male server who was holding the tray with the pitcher of scalding hot water, which spilled all over the minor."
Angela Jae Chun, the family's attorney, said the restaurant is liable for the conduct of its employees.
"They were negligent in failing to properly train and instruct their employees, including these two servers," Chun said.
She also said no one in the restaurant knew how to respond to the emergency.
Local
The plaintiff is now 4-years-old, and Chun said she suffers not just physical, but also emotional injuries.
"She has bounced back. She's still sweet, but she's scared around hot liquids and she's careful when she goes to restaurants," Chun said. "She's only four, she shouldn't have to worry about things like that."
In a statement sent to NBC 7, a restaurant spokesman wrote:
"We take this incident very seriously, and our insurance company was alerted within one business day. We are working closely with our insurance company to address the situation."
Chun said she had hoped to be able to work out the amount of damages with the insurance company. She said she filed suit when she information, like a possible video of the incident, was not handed over to her.
