ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: An elderly Nevada man has accused Disneyland of negligence, alleging that a security dog severely mauled him at the theme park's entrance after its handler failed to control it, according to a civil lawsuit.
Paul Perez, an 81-year-old grandfather from Las Vegas, filed the lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Orange County Superior Court on August 1, 20 CD The suit accuses Disney’s theme park division of negligence during the alleged attack that happened on May 10, 2022.
Who is Paul Perez?
Perez is an elderly Las Vegas native, who was visiting the Anaheim theme park with his wife, daughter, and two granddaughters when the alleged attack took place.
The lawsuit alleged that the family was making their way to the entrance when a security guard caused the K9 to “abruptly step directly in front and very close” to Perez.
The guard’s action caused Perez to bump into the dog, which reacted to the sudden movement. “The dog then attacked the plaintiff, biting him in the stomach,” according to the complaint. As a result of the attack, the grandfather suffered serious bite marks on the left side of his stomach.
An image of his wound showed the excruciating bite scars and the area of skin that had become black and blue around the wound. “He’s just this older guy on the way to Disneyland with his family to enjoy the day,” Perez’s attorney Ian Pancer told the Orange County Register.
What are Paul Perez’s demands?
“You can imagine it’s pretty traumatic for the guy to have been attacked by a dog,” Pancer continued. Following the attack, Perez’s daughter immediately rushed him to a local hospital, where he was treated for his wound with antibiotics.
The lawsuit claims that the elderly man is demanding a jury trial with damages to be “determined by proof at trial.” He is also seeking restitution for a physical wound, pain, suffering, emotional distress, and the cost of past and future medical treatment.
Perez told Register that Perez wishes to avoid litigation but Disneyland has not yet made any indication that it would like to do the same. Online court records showed that the hearing for the case is scheduled for late January 2024, according to Koin.
Similar incident
Perez’s lawsuit came just a few days after a woman sued Disney, alleging that she suffered “excruciating pain” after getting stuck in the doors of Disney’s monorail at Bay Lake. The complaint claimed that the woman, whose identity has been withheld, was visiting Epcot on March 24, 2023, but while riding the monorail, the doors broke down and "slammed shut" on her body.
In the suit, the woman claimed that she was in “excruciating pain” while being stuck between the doors for a few minutes. She was finally freed after around five male guests managed to open the door.
However, the lawsuit alleges that Disney’s cast members didn’t step in to help during the incident. The woman allegedly sustained a permanent injury as the result of the malfunction. Now, she has been demanding compensation for damages over $50,000, according to Click Orlando.
