A California tourist is suing a Nevada condominium group, alleging he was injured after being startled by a bear at a dumpster, according to court documents.
An attorney for John Donaldson, of Davis, filed a claim Aug. 12 against Incline Crest Condominium Association Number One, a Nevada company; and Waste Management of Nevada, Inc. The lawsuit was filed in the Second Judicial Court of Nevada, the county of Washoe.
The documents were obtained by Courthouse News. The lawsuit was first reported by The Mercury News.
Donaldson alleges he had rented a condominium at Lake Tahoe’s Incline Village in 2019 and was walking his dog when he approached a dumpster to dispose of his pest’s waste, SFGate reported. After opening the latch, Donaldson alleges “he was immediately confronted by a bear who was in the dumpster,” according to court documents.
Donaldson alleged he was frightened by an animal and turned to try and run away, The Sacramento Bee reported. Instead, he tripped on the ground, twisted his left ankle and fell on his back, the newspaper reported.
According to court documents, doctors later diagnosed Donaldson with a full-thickness tear to his Achilles tendon and spinal cord compression, which they said were caused by his fall.
Donaldson said he needed surgery after his injuries, The Bee reported.
According to the lawsuit, Donaldson claims Incline Crest knew that Lake Tahoe had a bear problem and was supposed to require wildlife-resistant dumpsters.
Incline Crest replaced the dumpsters after Donaldson’s incident, according to court documents.
Donaldson is seeking damages amounting to $15,000 plus unspecified punitive damages and court/attorney fees.
The condominium association and Waste Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment, The Bee and SFGate reported.
