True story. Galen Haldeman and his wife Carol were visiting the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida when Galen claims a rat bit him on the finger.
Haldeman’s wife is confined to a wheelchair, and according to him they had just exited the Buzz Lightyear ride and were walking through a gift shop when the alleged mania ensued. Haldeman has filed a lawsuit against Disney World asking for $15,000 in damages.
He claims he was bitten by the rat when, as he was pushing his wife through the shop, a rat jumped onto her wheelchair. According to the suit, filed against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in March, a large rat ran into the merchandise store and someone yelled, ‘rat’. Haldeman says he then saw the rodent jump onto the wheel of the chair and begin climbing for his wife’s arm.
Haldeman claims that he grabbed the rat to prevent it from biting his wife. The lawsuit claims that when Galen grabbed the rat it bit into one of his fingers, and he twisted its neck before throwing it to the ground.
According to the suit, a Disney employee rushed over to help the couple and told visitors not to take pictures. The employee apparently took the rodent away for disposal.
The lawsuit alleges that “Disney violated its duty to keep its park clean and safe by allowing conditions to get to the point where rats were inhabiting the park and were even bold enough to come out publicly among people”.
The damages sought by Haldeman and his wife are for medical expenses, physical handicap, disfigurement, mental anguish and other problems related to the incident.
Wow! A mouse at Disney. Do the Haldeman’s have a case?
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