When good ducks go bad, there can be serious consequences. Thankfully, the victim in this alleged quack attack sustained minimal injuries from her scary encounter with an “agitated waterfowl”—and even her lawyer seems to think the case has become a joke.
Cynthia Ruddell of Washington claims she was visiting her mother in 2012 when the neighbor’s duck, in the hilariously solemn words of the Christian Science Monitor, “ambushed her for no apparent reason.” Ruddell’s complaint accuses the duck’s owner, Lolita Rose (words cannot express how sad I am that is not, instead, the duck’s name) of failing “to warn or otherwise inform neighbors of her duck’s dangerous propensity in attacking individuals.”
Ruddell’s suit claims she broke her wrist and sprained her shoulder and elbow while fleeing the dastardly duck. She seeks $275,000 in damages, $25,000 of which The Christian Science Monitor says are for medical expenses. The rest of the considerable sum is to compensate for the consequences the duck attack had on her daily life.
Ruddell’s lawyer Gregory Price says it is his understanding that the marauding duck was killed after the incident. He also says he regrets that the weirdness of the suit has brought his client unwanted attention.
I’ve learned a lesson. In any future lawsuit I’ll talk about my client being attacked by a domestic animal. Not by a duck.
Another take-away from this story? If you must own a ferocious fowl, be sure to warn your neighbors. If nothing else, they’re going to be stepping in a lot of poop.
(Christian Science Monitor via Jezebel, image via Howard The Duck)
