A 12-year-old Pasadena boy whose foot became trapped under the Los Angeles Zoo's carousel nearly three years ago will receive a $20,000 settlement from the city, after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge signed off on the deal. The boy suffered three breaks in one leg when the ride stopped without warning as he was stepping off, leaving his foot caught beneath the carousel's surface.
Judge Jerrold Abeles approved the settlement on September 16, according to MyNewsLA.com. Under the terms of the deal, the boy will receive just under $11,000 in net proceeds once attorneys' fees, medical costs and other expenses are deducted from the total award, per the outlet's report.
How the Injury Happened
The incident occurred at about 1:15 p.m. on October 21, 2023, as the boy was stepping down at the end of his ride on the zoo's carousel, the report states. His foot became trapped under a surface of the ride when it stopped abruptly, and he received on-site medical care; he suffered three breaks in one leg.
The boy's family brought the lawsuit in February 2024, alleging that the city was negligent in allowing a hazardous condition to exist on the ride. Because the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles, the case fell to the City Attorney's Office to defend.
City's Defense and the Settlement Terms
City attorneys denied the boy's claims outright and argued that any harm he suffered resulted from his own negligence, not the ride's condition. Attorneys for the city also denied the lawsuit's broader allegations, contended the claims were barred by the statute of limitations, and asserted the city was immune from liability.
That statutory defense traces back to California Government Code Section 911.2, which requires anyone bringing a personal injury claim against a government agency to file a formal administrative claim within six months of the incident, according to Conduit Law. Despite that defense, the two sides ultimately reached the $20,000 compromise now approved by the court.
Because the injured party is a minor, the settlement required judicial sign-off before it could take effect. Under California Probate Code Section 3500, any personal injury settlement involving a child must go through a formal court petition known as a Minor's Compromise, a process explained by the Judicial Branch of California. Plaintiff attorneys filed a petition requesting confirmation of the deal, setting up Abeles's September 16 approval order.
The Boy's Net Proceeds
The roughly $11,000 in net proceeds is what remains after attorneys' fees, medical costs and other expenses are deducted.
The Ride Behind the Case
The Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel first opened to the public in October 2011 after a $2.5 million construction effort, and it was named in memory of screenwriter and former Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association trustee chairman Tom Mankiewicz, funded largely through donations from A&M Records co-founder Jerry Moss and his wife Ann Moss, according to the LA Times. The ride features 64 hand-carved wooden animal figures and includes a universally accessible standing chariot, among other design touches like custom wooden replicas of champion racehorses Zenyatta and Giacomo and a dung beetle chariot.
Carousel rides require a ticket, and safety rules require any child under 42 inches tall to be accompanied by an adult, per Discover Los Angeles. The carousel was intended to generate income for the zoo, and the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association raises funds for zoo programs.
