The family of a Connecticut woman brutally mauled last month by a 200-pound chimp is seeking a staggering $50 million in damages against the primate's owner
The family of a Connecticut woman brutally mauled last month by a 200-pound chimp is seeking a staggering $50 million in damages against the primate's owner.
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Charla Nash's relatives filed a lawsuit in Stamford Superior Court against Sandra Herold, accusing her of negligence and recklessness for owning "a wild animal with violent propensities, even though she lacked sufficient skill, strength and/or experience to subdue the chimpanzee with necessary".
The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where Nash is currently being treated, said the 55-year-old woman lost her nose, lips, eyelids and hands during the February 16 attack in Stamford.
Doctors said Nash, who remains medically sedated in critical condition, also suffered brain damage and may be a candidate for a face transplant due to her extensive injuries.
Herold told police immediately after the incident that the pet, named Travis, was rambunctious that day and that she gave it Xanax, a drug prescribed to people for anxiety, to calm him down.
She called Nash to her home because the chimpanzee had gotten out of the house and Herold needed help getting him back inside.
The 15-year-old chimp was eventually shot and killed by police, who are weighing whether to file criminal charges against Herold.
Joseph Gerardi, a lawyer representing Herold, would only say that his client was named as a defendant in the legal documents.
Travis, a former TV star, had appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy.
Travis lived like most people - and even took his own bath and drank wine from a stemmed glass. He also brushed his teeth and watched TV.
Connecticut cops had dealt with Travis in the past, including a 2003 incident when he escaped from his owners' vehicle in downtown Stamford for two hours.
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