Liability in Stamford Chimp Attack
by Ryan McKeen
Much is being made of the horrible chimpanzee attack in Stamford this week.
This morning the Hartford Courant has an article about the chimp and prior safety concerns. Link.
The article states that Travis the chimpanzee was “never had anything but love,” “was treated like a member of the family” and was fed “steak, shrimp and ice cream.”
In the inevitable civil litigation that will arise as a result of the issue of whether or not the chimp was a properly cared for likely won’t matter in terms of liability.
I could not find a primate attack case in Connecticut. Other jurisdictions, however, have dealt with this very issue.
Other states have concluded that a chimpanzee’s owner is strictly liable for its action unless the victim brought the attack upon himself. Courts impose strict liability on the grounds that keeping wild animals in close proximity to people is an abnormally dangerous activity and doing so exposes the community to abnormal risk. Link.
A chimpanzee for purposes of a civil suit would likely be considered a wild animal. The article linked to above details several court decisions that have held chimpanzees to be wild animals for purposes of tort liability.
The fact that the owners of the chimp exercised even the utmost care won’t relieve the owner of liability in such an action and nor should it because keeping a chimpanzee as a pet is likely a criminally stupid idea.
February 20th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
this chimp attack is getting an excessive amount of press, but still i have to admit it sounds like it must have been nightmarish for that lady; i guess you never know what might put a chimp over the edge
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February 21st, 2009 at 9:08 am
People of Stamford and The United States… PLEASE WAKE UP! why does it always take something so drastic and horrieble to happen to understand which things we should allow and forbid.
I try as hard as i can in my rational head to understand what makes a person around the globe wake up and say.. hey, everyone has dogs and cats.. I WILL RAISE A MONEKY!!
I mean please! could u be anymore innocent, what do u think will happen!? there are the odds that he won''t damage anyone during his lifetime, but why even risk the slightest chance for the day he does snap. what''s next oh i had a big giant pool and swam with A GREAT WHITE SHARK for 14 years! yea the kids loved him.. but one day he snapped and ate one of them!
All i can say is it''s sorry for that poor friend who just came over for a visit and now her life will never be the same.
It is the responsibility of the goverement or who ever is incharge to infroce laws to prevent this from happening!
so simple to the common logic, yet so hard to understand how this things still happen!
hope this lines don''t fall on deaf ears.. AMERICA deserves better stories than TRAGIC ones!
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J. Smithfield Reply:
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 am
Ben learn to spell out your words, hell use spell check.
Also we the people could a lot less governent.
Just a thought.
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J. P. Smithfield Reply:
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:20 am
I am a great one too speak, Goverment "oh well"
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Ash Reply:
May 20th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
GOVERNMENT.
March 1st, 2009 at 7:06 pm
I am not a lawyer, and may be quiet innocent myself, but all responsibility seems to fall squarely on the owner. I understand that this case may be tried, but is there a realistic chance that this could somehow be blamed on the woman that was attacked? That would be right up there with muggers and house robbers getting settlements for being injured by their victims!
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March 1st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Wild animals are not ours to keep as PETS!
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March 9th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Strict Liability for inherently dangerous animals. Has been the law for some time, not a surprise that if the estate of the hurt decides to sue there will be a lot of damages to compensate for. The more important issue is who to sue to receive enough plus more to cover the damages suffered…
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March 9th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Well…since we are descendants of chimpanzees….by raising them, aren't we just taking care of our elders?
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March 11th, 2009 at 8:55 am
All i can say is it''s sorry for that poor friend who just came over for a visit and now her life will never be the same.
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March 11th, 2009 at 9:46 am
I visited Thailand last year, we went to monkey island and all we were told to be careful with monkeys, and that there were real stories about monkeys who attacked tourists. One of us, a young man, wanted to keep one monkey but than tourguide explained him that it is forbidden to take him on the plain and there will be much trouble.
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March 22nd, 2009 at 4:34 am
wild life animals names and information know more go here thank you !!
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March 30th, 2009 at 8:41 am
It’s really informative for me… to understand terms of law are not easy. well i am working on it
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July 23rd, 2009 at 2:48 am
Comment http://madshop.000space.com/
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