CT wants to dismiss chimp attack victim's lawsuit

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The state Claims Commissioner is being urged by the Office of the Attorney General to dismiss a claim against the state filed by Charla Nash , the Stamford woman severely disfigured by a chimpanzee in 2009.

Nash attended Friday's hearing. She is seeking permission to sue the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for $150 million in damages, accusing the agency of failing to seize the animal before the mauling despite a staff member's warning that it was dangerous.

An Assistant Attorney General told Commissioner J. Paul Vance Jr. that Nash deserves sympathy for her plight, but argued the state is not liable for actions of the privately owned chimp.

Vance is not expected to rule Friday on the state's motion to dismiss. He has 30 days to act.

Read more from our Connecticut sister station, WTNH-TV.