Georgia residents may be intrigued to hear about a lawsuit that has been filed against Wayne Newton, the Las Vegas entertainer, over an unusual incident. Back in October 2017, a woman who went on a tour of one of Newton’s former estates was allegedly bitten by a monkey that the performer had been keeping there as a pet.
The estate, called the Casa de Shenandoah, became a museum and tourist attraction after being sold to investors back in 2010. It features gardens, a stable for Newton’s horses and many exotic animals. Reports say that the victim of the attack was 15 years old at the time and toured the mansion together with her mother, who is the plaintiff in this case. They were both invited to the tour, and they claim not to have provoked the monkey.
Though it is not clear how severe the injuries were, the plaintiff is seeking a minimum of $15,000 in damages. The suit was filed with the Nevada State Court on Aug. 7.
In response, Wayne Newton’s wife said that by the time of the incident, the Newtons were no longer associated with the business that conducts the tours. They cut their ties in July 2017 and so do not know what happened that October.
If this was indeed a preventable accident, then the owners of the mansion could be responsible for the other’s injuries, according to the legal concept of premises liability. Someone who believes they have a valid case under premises liability law may want to see an attorney who works in this field. The attorney could have a network of investigators show that a failure to uphold the duty of care led to the injuries. This could help lead to an out-of-court settlement.