Attorneys representing chimpanzee attack victim Charla Nash have reportedly entered into a settlement agreement with the estate of the chimp's owner, the late Sandra Herold.
According to a report in the Stamford Advocate, the two parties reached a nearly $4 million agreement.
Bridgeport lawyer Charles Willinger, who represented Nash, told the Advocate that the settlement is "totally inadequate" to cover Nash's medical bills, let alone her pain and suffering, however he noted that Herold's estate was "limited in funds."
The settlement includes $3.4 million in real estate, $331,000 in cash, $140,000 in machinery and equipment and $44,000 in vehicles, according to the report, citing court documents obtained by the Associated Press.
Nash lost her eyes, nose, lips and hands in the attack, which occurred in 2009 at Herold's Stamford home. The chimp was shot and killed by police during the attack — and Herold later passed away.
Nash was one of the first people to successfully receive a full face transplant, which she revealed on the Oprah Winfrey show last year — however attempts to provide her with hand transplants have so far failed, according to the report.
The lawsuit against Herold's estate — filed by Nash' brother, Michael Nash, in 2009 — had sought $50 million in damages.
Meanwhile the Nash family is awaiting a decision from State Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance Jr. whether it can proceed with a lawsuit against the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for $150 million.
Attorneys for Nash claim that DEEP officials , prior to the attack, therefore she should not have been allowed to keep him as a pet.
For more, check out the Stamford Advocate report.
