The Reeves Law Group

When Jabari, the 13-year-old 340-pound gorilla at the Dallas Zoo, executed a flying leap that landed him out of his enclosure and right into a bunch of terrified visitors, it was the wildest thing people at the Wilds of Africa exhibit at the zoo had seen. The gorilla went on a rampage, picking a toddler up with his teeth and then biting him. It also attacked another woman and her child. In all, the gorilla rampage injured four visitors to the zoo who had been unfortunate enough to be outside his enclosure that particular day. The pandemonium continued for a few minutes before zoo security keepers shot the animal dead.

Now, a Dallas court has ruled that the city can’t be given immunity in lawsuits bought by the victims of the gorilla attack. The lawsuit had alleged, among other things, that the city neglected to provide adequate confinement of gorillas and provided an “unreasonable risk of escape.” The victims, 3-year-old Rivers Noah and his mother, Keish Heard, were among those who were injured in the attack. River was admitted to hospital with lacerations and bite injuries on his head and chest. His mother was bitten on the legs. Another woman and child were also injured.

The victims say their medical bills after the rampage cost them tens of thousands of dollars, and are seeking compensation for these expenses, as well as the trauma they suffered at the time of the attack. In a case like this, it’s easy to believe that the emotional suffering and trauma on being attacked by an angry animal must have been worse than the physical scars.

The zoo had its own way of dealing with the attack. Officials claim that the leap from his enclosure was a one in a million occurrence. That doesn’t absolve them of any responsibility. This wasn’t a genetically modified gorilla. This was a normal sized gorilla for his species, that’s found in zoos across the world. When you decide to keep an animal of that size in your zoo, you better be aware of what makes him irritated or angry enough to fly over a12 foot leap. A “one in a million” type defense is not easy to stomach.

The possibility of human error too has not been ruled out. Investigators say they found no sign of any human interference in the security doors and other mechanisms, but animal experts have voiced their skepticism that a gorilla could leap across a 12-foot moat or scale a 15-foot wall.

Regardless of whether it was human error or a leap, there’s no doubt that the zoo and the city are still liable, and we hope the victims receive compensation for their suffering and losses.

A 45-year-old woman died a horrific death after she was mauled by a pack of four dogs in Yermo, California. Kelly Caldwell died after paramedics, who rushed to the scene, transported to her to a nearby hospital. She had multiple perforating injuries and dog bite marks.

One of the dogs was killed after it became aggressive towards paramedics while another was killed after it showed the same behavior towards animal control officers. The other two dogs were taken away as evidence. As expected the owners of the dogs claim that their dogs have never been violent.

Yermo has found itself with a dog menace problem for many months now, and residents claim that animal control help is either too late or never available. It’s a common sight to see dogs running around on the streets, and when concerned residents called animal control, they seem hesitant to come out to Yermo.

In this tiny isolated community, it appears the dog problem has gone from being merely an annoyance and a noisy disturbance to an outright danger for residents who claim they are often scared to venture out after dark. Obviously Yermo is paying the price for its out-of-the-way location.

A stricter enforcement of pet laws might have prevented Caldwell’s death. It’s not clear what the dogs were doing out on that road, but obviously responsibility lies with the pet owners even if, like they claimed, their dogs had “never been violent before.”

No matter what pet owners may claim about the dogs not being the ones to blame, the fact is that when someone is killed in so brutal a fashion, the rights of a person to walk safely on the streets become more important than a person’s right to keep aggressive breeds of dogs. Stronger pet laws are needed, and restrictions will have to be enforced. More importantly, stronger punishment for dog attacks and higher liability are in order. Otherwise, we risk turning into a country that cares more for the rights of dogs than the life and safety of citizens.

If you or a loved-one has been injured or killed by an aggressive dog or any other type of domesticated animal, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury lawyer. Contact The Reeves Law Group immediately for a free consultation.