![]() "I want the chance to pay my medical bills and live a comfortable life. that denied her request to waive Connecticut's sovereign immunity from lawsuits. She asked lawmakers to pass legislation overruling a June decision by state Claims Commissioner J. Her legal team has said that before the attack, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection (DEEP) had described the illegally owned, 200-pound (90 kilogram) chimp as a serious threat to public safety. "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," said Nash, 60. 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. Lorri Helfand can be reached at or (727) 445-4155.By Richard Weizel HARTFORD, Connecticut (Reuters) - A 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 $150 million in damages. Maturen's suit requests financial compensation and says she endured various traumas, including permanent injuries, significant scarring, mental pain and suffering, and lost wages. It houses dozens of animals, mostly primates. The 12.5-acre sanctuary is just north of Alderman Road on Alt. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the lead agency that investigated the attack, said the sanctuary was not criminally liable. And it alleges that the sanctuary failed to have adequate protections in place, such as a panic button, in case of such attacks. The case specifically claims that the sanctuary created a risky situation because it failed to use a self-locking cage door or other mechanism to keep the adult chimpanzees from escaping. The suit, filed Monday, also accuses the sanctuary of negligence for not making sure "dangerous wild animals" at the facility were safely secured and segregated from the volunteers. "You would think the main thing would be getting help for whoever was injured," said Bill Maturen, who lives near Largo. Maturen's father is outraged about how his daughter was treated. ![]() To get there, they would have likely passed Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital and its emergency room. Several minutes later, after another volunteer called the Cobbs, she heard the Cobbs trying to lure Shawn back to her enclosure.Įventually, unbeknownst to the deputy outside, Maturen was ushered into the car of another volunteer, who followed Jon Cobb to a walk-in medical clinic about five or 10 minutes away, Maturen said. I believe I was intentionally misled about her condition, about what happened and her location."Ībout 10 minutes after the attack, Maturen said she found refuge in the sanctuary bathroom, where she lay bleeding. "She went over an hour before receiving medical treatment at (a clinic). ![]() "Looking at the time line, it appears Andrea (Maturen) was at the sanctuary with severe and potentially life-threatening injuries while I was outside trying to find out what happened and check on her," the deputy wrote. The deputy said sanctuary workers were evasive about Maturen's condition and refused to let him into the sanctuary, according to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office report. The day of the attack, no one from the sanctuary called 911.Ī deputy responded after a patron at the facility called authorities. Petersburg Times she was angry to discover that the Cobbs and other sanctuary workers kept a deputy waiting outside the sanctuary on Alt. Maturen sustained a deep cut in the back of her head, a broken thumb, a gaping mouth-shaped wound on her elbow, and various bites and scratches.ĭebbie Cobb referred a call for comment to her attorney, saying, "I'm just not going to entertain anyone that's not in the best interest of the sanctuary, or the animals or even for Andrea."Ĭobb's Tampa lawyer, Thomas Dandar, said he hasn't seen the entire complaint yet, but said, "I deny most of the allegations in there." He said he was surprised Maturen filed a lawsuit.Įarlier this year, Maturen told the St. It also accuses them of "misleading law enforcement," causing a delay in the treatment of her injuries and unnecessary pain. ![]() Outreach coordinator Debbie Cobb and her husband Jon, a foundation officer, were also named in the suit.Īmong other allegations, Maturen's suit claims that the sanctuary and the Cobbs failed to obtain immediate and proper medical care for her. "It makes it impossible for me to emotionally move on from it." She's having a hard time putting the incident behind her with the bills looming over her head, she said. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |