A US woman whose face and hands were ripped off by a friend’s pet chimpanzee in 2009 came to the Connecticut State Capitol on Friday to ask permission to sue the state for US$150 million in damages.
Charla Nash, who has undergone a face transplant and many other surgeries, including a failed double hand transplant, spoke to the Connecticut General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, her head wrapped with protective white gauze.
“My name is Charla Nash and I’m hoping you can make a decision based on the fact that the state knew what was happening and failed to protect me,” Nash, 60, said.
Photo: Reuters
Her legal team has said that before the attack, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection (DEEP) had described the illegally owned, 90kg chimp as a serious threat to public safety.
She asked lawmakers to pass legislation overruling a decision in June last year by Connecticut Claims Commissioner Paul Vance Jr that denied her request to waive Connecticut’s sovereign immunity from lawsuits.
“I want the chance to pay my medical bills and live a comfortable life, but I also want to make sure that what happened to me never happens to anyone else ever again,” Nash said.
Nash was at the Stamford home of her friend and employer, Sandra Herold, when Herold’s pet chimp, Travis, attacked her, leaving her blind and disfigured. The animal was shot dead at the scene by a Stamford police officer.
Nash’s lawyer, Charles Willinger of Bridgeport, insisted that his client has the right to have her day in court.
“The facts you will shortly hear — and these are facts that will shock you — demonstrate the failure and omission of a state agency to properly and legally protect the public. What you will hear will be upsetting and appalling,” Willinger said.
Willinger presented the committee with a memo written by state DEEP biologist Elaine Hinsch to her supervisors in October 2008, less than four months before the chimp attacked Nash.
“The animal has reached adult maturity, is very large and tremendously strong. I am concerned that if he feels threatened or if someone enters his territory, he could seriously hurt someone,” Hinsch wrote in the memo. “As you are aware, this is the same chimpanzee that escaped from the owner’s car and led local police on a wild chase for hours in downtown Stamford until the animal could be secured back in the car.”
Members of the 45-member committee seemed stunned by Willinger’s presentation.
“You and Charla Nash have given us a lot to go over,” Connecticut State Senator John Kissel said.
However, Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said that allowing Nash to sue the state would “open the floodgates for unlimited lawsuits and liability that would bankrupt the state.”
He urged lawmakers to reject her request.
Nash filed a lawsuit against Herold, who died in 2010. In 2012, a settlement was reached in the amount of US$4 million, nearly the entire amount of Herold’s estate.
The committee has until April 2 to make a decision on whether to recommend to the full state legislature that Nash be permitted to sue the state of Connecticut.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
RSS