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Charla Nash Seeking $150M From State For Chimp Attack

The state legislature's judiciary committee will likely play a key role in deciding whether Nash has grounds for proceeding with the suit, which alleges that state environmental officials knew the chimp was dangerous, yet allowed Sandra Herold to own it..

Members of the will reportedly be deciding over the next several weeks whether to allow former resident Charla Nash, who was horrifically mauled by her former friend Sandra Herold's pet chimpanzee in 2009, to proceed with a in damages from state environmental regulators for negligence.

The state legislature's judiciary committee will likely play a key role in deciding whether Nash has grounds for proceeding with the suit, which alleges that state environmental officials knew the pet was dangerous and yet allowed Herold to continue to own it, according to a report in the Stamford Advocate.

State lawmakers are reportedly concerned about the precedent the suit — if allowed to proceed — could set for future claims. There is also a question as to the degree of liability the state DEEP has, considering the that were on the books at the time of the attack.

Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the report, the state attorney general's office is scheduled to submit a motion to dismiss Nash's case by April 12. At that point, Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance Jr. is expected to render a decision as to whether the suit can proceed, the report states.

Should Nash prevail in her lawsuit, the burden of the settlement would fall to state taxpayers.

Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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