As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another bear’s treasure, though the resulting shock is no fun for anyone. A man from California has filed a law suit against a Nevada condominium group, alleging that he was injured after being startled by a dumpster-diving bear.
The lawsuit claims that the bear got inside the dumpster do to a faulty latch and lunged at the man when he went to throw away his garbage. Bears are a common sight near Lake Tahoe where the incident allegedly occurred.
John Donaldson, of Davis California, was renting a flat in Incline Village in 2019 when he says he went to throw away dog waste in a dumpster provided by the condominium complex. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that he “had to fiddle with the defective and malfunctioning latch before opening it” and inside he found a bear.
Mr. Donaldson’s lawyers claim that he was “startled” by the bear, which caused him to twist his ankle and fall. According to the lawsuit, he later required surgery to his Achilles-tendon and his spine as a direct result of the fall.
He argues that Waste Management of Nevada failed in their responsibility to provide a wildlife-proof waste receptacle and allowed the damaged latch to go unrepaired for months. Mr. Donaldson also accuses the managers of the Incline Village homeowners group of failing to inform renters about the faulty latch. “It is well known and established that Incline Village, as well as other parts of Lake Tahoe, has a serious and persistent bear problem, predominantly trash-related,” the lawsuit states.
Mr. Donaldson is seeking $15 000 as well as compensation for his legal costs.
Sources: BBC
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