A nanny has sued an American couple for 235 million shillings after their two English bulldogs attacked and seriously injured her when she took her boss’ son for a playdate.
Colletta Sebby Abonyo seeks compensation from Gabriel Oser and Joanna Block for negligence by the couple over the incident at their Hardy, Karen home on April 28, 2021.
In her petition at the High Court, Colletta says the dogs pounced on her in the compound as she tried to protect her employer’s nine-year-old son who went to play with the Osers’ son.
According to documents she filed in court, she has had two surgeries to repair her deep lacerations left on her face and chunks of flesh torn from her body during the brutal attack.
“The facial scarring and mental anguish have diminished the plaintiff’s quality of life which has made her performance of everyday tasks more challenging,” she says in her court filings.
She adds, “Additionally, they have led to the loss of congenial employment, the loss of pride and pleasure in her work.”
Colletta is seeking Sh225 million in general damages for physical damage, emotional distress and loss of amenity suffered and an extra Sh10 million to cater for her future medical fees.
She is, through Anjarwalla & Khanna LLP law firm, accusing the Oser family of violating her rights to human dignity and not to be treated in an inhuman, cruel and degrading manner.
She also accuses the couple for failing to honor its commitment to meet her medical fees totaling Sh1.29 million as they had only paid Sh1.065 million by the time she moved to court.
Colletta says immediately she was let into the Osers’ gate by workers one dog charged towards them prompting her to lift the boy to protect him leaving the dog to bite her legs.
Soon after the second bulldog joined in pushing her to the ground and by the time a gardener rushed to their rescue she had sustained deep wounds on her face, ears and legs.
Through her employer’s intervention, she was taken to Nairobi Hospital Annex at Galleria Mall for emergency treatment before being referred to the main hospital in Upper Hil area.
The complainant told the court she underwent a three-hour maxillofacial surgery by a Dr Tilman Stasch to repair her cheeks and to reattach the loose flesh in the affected areas.
She was later referred to Aga Khan University Hospital where she was admitted for eight nights to undergo two more operations, including grafting leaving her face disfigured.
According to Colletta, the couple failed in their duty to protect her and her employer’s son from the aggressive dogs and in the process exposing them to imminent danger on that day.
She says she endured trauma resulting in severe emotional and psychological distress, which left her experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, persistent headaches and phobia of dog.
She added that she now suffers from low esteem due to her disfigured physical appearance leaving her severely depressed hence she no longer socializes and travels as she used to do.