Lawsuit filed in tainted milk scandal

BEIJING, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The first lawsuit has been filed against Sanlu Group, which is in the midst of China's tainted milk powder cases in which four infants have died.

A local court in China's central Henan province will decide in a week whether to accept the lawsuit filed against the diary giant, China Daily reported Tuesday.

The petition was filed by lawyer Ji Cheng with a Beijing law firm on behalf of the parents of a 1-year-old boy, the report said. More than 50,000 infants have been sickened by the tainted product.

Ji was quoted as saying the parents told him the child developed kidney stones from drinking Sanlu. He said the parents are seeking damages of at least $21,900 to cover hospital fees, travel expenses, time off from work and other costs.

"As the child is still hospitalized, we will revise the compensation to befit increasing medical fees and other costs," Ji told the newspaper.

The report said Ji is among more than 124 lawyers from 22 provinces and municipalities advocating on behalf of victims of the tainted milk powder on a pro bono basis.

Tests have found the chemical melamine in the tainted product.