Woman Attacked By Goose Sues County - County Didn't Post Warning Signs About Goose

mycfnow ^

[chance33_98]

Woman Attacked By Goose Sues County

Lawsuit Asserts County Didn't Post Warning Signs About Goose

Posted: 6:39 a.m. EST January 24, 2003 Updated: 8:59 a.m. EST January 24, 2003

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla -- A woman who says she was attacked by a 3-foot-tall goose is suing Palm Beach County, claiming the county should not have allowed the bird to roam in a public park.

Darlene Griffin, 30, claims in her lawsuit that the goose lunged at her son on Feb. 5 while he was standing near a pond in Okeeheelee Park. Griffin, a medical assistant, said she jumped in between the goose and her son, who had a shunt in his chest for administering medicines, and told her son to flee. That's when the bird turned its attention toward her, she said.

Griffin then tried to block the bird with her foot, but it bit her in the foot.

"He was squawking at me and he looked like he was coming at me again," she said.

Griffin claims that she fell down while fighting with the animal and broke her tailbone.

The lawsuit asserts that the goose had a history of being territorial and aggressive, but the county did not have any warning signs posted.

The county denies that. In its response to the lawsuit Jan. 8, the county said it had no duty to warn people of the "obvious" conditions at the park.

Eric Call, the county's assistant parks director, said the goose was removed from the park after the incident. A few months later, the county hired a trapper to remove 22 geese from the park because they had become unruly.

Griffin's attorney, Joe Fields, said the fact that the county removed the birds shows they are dangerous. As further proof, Fields videotaped the goose that Griffin claims attacked her harassing other parkgoers. The video shows a man hitting the bird near the head to make it stop attacking him.

Call said pet owners drop off the geese at the park from time to time because the birds have become ornery. The county plans to print brochures to inform people they should not leave their birds there, he said.

[chance33_98]

Ping!

[Diana Rose]

Just put up signs that say

IDIOT WARNING THIS MEANS YOU

Then when these people try to sue you can claim they were warned.

[No Truce With Kings]

"Griffin claims that she fell down while fighting with the animal and broke her tailbone. "

The goose goosed her?

[ClearCase_guy]

The county plans to print brochures to inform people they should not leave their birds there, he said.

They better print that brochure in Tagalog. That's the only language I admit to speaking -- and laws and brochures not written in Tagalog may be freely ignored by people such as myself. Any injuries that may result due to my inability to understand English or use common sense are simply an indication that I need to sue someone.

[Guillermo]

It's the 99% of lawyers that make the other 1% look bad.

[jimtorr]

Call said pet owners drop off the geese at the park from time to time because the birds have become ornery. The county plans to print brochures to inform people they should not leave their birds there, he said.

What??? Do a lot of people in Florida own geese for any reason other than Christmas dinner?

They should know, anyway, that geese are normally ornery, territorial and aggresive.

[Dad was my hero]

Eric Call, the county's assistant parks director, said the goose was removed from the park after the incident. A few months later, the county hired a trapper to remove 22 geese from the park because they had become unruly.

Imagine that, uncivilized, unruly wild animals. What could come next, wild animals fornicating outdoors and protecting their young???

[Luna]

As further proof, Fields videotaped the goose that Griffin claims attacked her harassing other parkgoers. The video shows a man hitting the bird near the head to make it stop attacking him.

I think...no, make that feel this goose needs to be forced to attend sensitivity training for the harassment then sent to jail for assault and battery.

Anyone familar with geese out there in FR land? Are they aggressive birds?

[Luna]

They should know, anyway, that geese are normally ornery, territorial and aggresive.

You answered my question before I finished my first post. Thanks!

[ibbryn]

Just wait for the lawsuit that hits when someone sees the geese, you know, making baby geese. Can you imagine if a child should witness that!

[itssoamusing]

ROTFLOL

[Salamander]

I have geese.

When one of his "wives" is laying eggs, Bob T. Gander can be quite a nasty little jerk.
Of course, he *is* just doing his fatherly job so nobody faults him for it.

*But*, a "goose attack" is little more than wing flapping and pecking.

I'm just a 5'3" skinny little woman and if I couldn't "fend off" a "killer goose" I think I'd just lay down and give it up.
While all their ruckus may look impressive, it doesn't actually hurt.
It's all sound and fury, signifying nothing.

On the other hand, I'm a hillbilly who grew up on a farm and commonly had to dodge angry cows with calves, vicious hens with chicks, nasty bulls and savage sows with piglets.

Maybe I'm just real hard to impress, "critter attack"-wise...:)

[Blood of Tyrants]

Send that goose to France. They will surrender within an hour of it's release.

[mhking]

Chelveston (& Ray Rayner) ping! (If you gotta ask, find someone from Chicago...)

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Not aggressive until you get in it's territory when it has young. But it is a GOOSE, for cryin' out loud! The WORST it can do to a human is peck them with it's dull, rounded beak.

[Salamander]

Of course, we're both forgetting the infamous "killer rabbit" scene in Monty Python and The Holy Grail.....;)

[SoDak]

OMG that's funny. I remember my little sister being scared of the geese when she was like 4YEARS OLD! God help this woman if she's ever forced out of her insulated bubble-world.

[Xenalyte]

What does the shunt have to do with anything? Do geese go for shunts in a big way?

[sd-joe]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla

I never would have guessed.