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A California jury ordered singer Chris Brown to pay 13 million dollars in damages to a housekeeper who was attacked by one of his dogs in December 2020.
n” “nThe verdict, issued on Tuesday, states that Brown and his company Black Pyramid LLC must pay $12.9 million to Maria Avila, who suffered serious injuries to her arm and face following the animal’s attack at the artist’s residence in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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n” “nThe court also ordered $885,000 for the victim’s sister, Patricia Avila, who witnessed the incident and claimed damages for emotional distress, and $50,000 to Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, who alleged that his wife’s physical aftereffects affected their marital life.
Michael C. Murphy Jr., Patricia’s attorney, celebrated the ruling in a statement reported by Rolling Stone.
n” “n“After more than five years of litigation against Chris Brown, we are thrilled to have been able to obtain justice for our client, Patricia. It was an honor to represent her,” he stated.
n” “nThe trial lasted two weeks. Maria Avila testified in Spanish through an interpreter and recounted the attack of December 12, 2020, when the dog—a Caucasian Shepherd also known as a Central Asian Ovcharka, named Hades—knocked her down while she was emptying a vacuum cleaner bag outside the house.
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Before the jury gathered in the Van Nuys courthouse, she described extensive scarring, nerve damage, and post-traumatic stress disorder. “I will never be the same again,” she stated on June 24.
Surgeons had to remove skin from his abdomen to graft it onto his arm, and the lacerations on his face required dozens of stitches.
n” “nPandemic restrictions prevented her family from visiting her during her five days of hospitalization.
n” “nAvila told the jury that nerve damage and chronic sensitivity on the left side of her body make it difficult for her to sleep and perform daily tasks, and that the fear of dogs left by the attack ended her career as a domestic worker, since most of her former clients had dogs.
n” “nThe victim’s daughter, Yoseline Espinoza, also testified on the stand and recounted the panic-stricken call she received from her aunt on the day of the attack.
n” “n“He was just screaming, telling me: ‘Your mom can’t breathe. She keeps fainting. The ambulance still hasn’t arrived. Chris Brown fled the scene’,” he testified. “I didn’t think she would make it,” he added.
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The 37-year-old rapper was the first witness to testify. He acknowledged that he did not call 911 personally because he feared the recording would be leaked to the media, and admitted that he left the property before the paramedics arrived.
n” “n“Because of how my image is always used. I didn’t want a misleading story, or a circus, because of my status,” he explained to the jury. He also confirmed that he did not instruct his security team to preserve the surveillance camera footage from the property.
n” “nBefore the trial, Chris Brown had admitted negligence under California’s dog bite law, although he disputed the extent of the injuries and argued that Maria Avila bore some responsibility for having gone outside alone.
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