Young Boy Suffers Severe Burns after Grandfather Sets House on Fire and Abandons Him
A young Scarborough boy is permanently disabled after his grandfather, who was supposed to be caring for him, set the boy’s house on fire, leaving the little boy inside.
The boy’s grandfather was looking after him while his parents were at work. At 2:00 that afternoon, tenants in the basement of the residence heard smoke alarms going off on the main floor where the plaintiff and his family lived. The tenants ran onto the lawn and saw smoke billowing out from the door. The terrified minor plaintiff came out after being coaxed by the tenants on the lawn. He was engulfed in flames.
One of his neighbours extinguished the flames on the lawn. Meanwhile, the grandfather was seen leaving the residence and the surrounding area, paying no attention to his grandson. The grandfather returned the next day to the residence, severely intoxicated. He instructed one of the building’s tenants to call the police so he could turn himself in and tried to hang himself. The defendant went to prison for just over six years for arson.
The minor plaintiff suffered burns to about 40% of his body. Seven of his fingers were amputated. Skin grafting has resulted in his left side being 3 inches shorter than his right, and he is unable to close his left eye. The insurance company settled out of court.
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