OLYMPIA, Wash., April 22 (Reuters) - A woman from Washington state has sued her mother's neighbor in Oregon seeking $275,000 for pain, suffering and other damages she claims were inflicted when a pet duck ambushed her for no apparent reason.
Cynthia Ruddell was on her mother's property in Estacada, Oregon, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Portland, when the duck attacked her without provocation, according to the suit filed last week in Oregon state court.
While trying to flee the waterfowl, Ruddell fell to the ground, suffering a broken right wrist and a sprained elbow and shoulder, the suit claims. The incident occurred in May of 2012.
The lawsuit accuses the bird's owner, Lolita Rose, of failing to maintain control of her pet or "to warn or otherwise inform neighbors of her duck's dangerous propensity in attacking individuals."
Ruddell, from Washougal, Washington, is seeking up to $275,000 in damages, including roughly $25,000 for medical expenses, with the remainder being for pain, suffering and the toll her injuries have taken on her daily life.
Rose could not be reached for comment on the case. (Reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky; Editing by Steve Gorman and Eric Walsh)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
