Chris Brown could see a major reduction in the $12.9 million damages award a jury handed to his former housekeeper over a 2020 dog attack at his California home.
According to Rolling Stone, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Huey P. Cotton indicated during a Thursday hearing that he was leaning toward significantly reducing the amount awarded to Maria Avila. The judge has not issued a final reduction, but Avila’s attorney said his tentative proposal would cut the award by nearly 40 percent, wiping more than $5 million from the jury’s decision.
Avila’s attorney, Nancy Doumanian, pushed the court to consider a smaller reduction, arguing that the severity and lasting effects of her client’s injuries justified a larger award.
“If your honor is convinced that some [scaling back] is warranted, then I’d ask for a lesser reduction. The magnitude of the current reduction is almost 40 percent. That’s over $5 million,” Doumanian said, according to Rolling Stone’s report. “Given the gravity and permanence of the injuries that Miss Avila had, we’d ask for a reduction to $11 million, your honor, not what the court is proposing.”
Judge Cotton reportedly appeared unwilling to reconsider whether an overall reduction should happen, although he agreed to consider additional arguments about how any reduction should be distributed across the different categories of damages.
“We can either retry it, or you can agree [to the tentative ruling],” Cotton told Avila’s attorney, according to Rolling Stone. “I just need a decision.”
The latest development comes nearly three months after a Los Angeles jury sided with Avila following a two-week trial. Jurors awarded her $12.9 million in damages connected to medical expenses and emotional distress. Her sister, Patricia Avila, received another $885,000 in damages, while Maria’s husband received $50,000.
The lawsuit stemmed from a December 2020 incident at Brown’s home in Tarzana, California. According to the civil complaint reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, Maria and Patricia had been hired as housekeepers and understood that Brown’s dogs were normally kept in a separate area of the property.
Maria encountered Brown’s large Caucasian Shepherd while she was outside performing cleaning duties, according to the complaint. The dog attacked her, leaving injuries to her face, arm, and leg. The Los Angeles Times reported that paramedics transported her to a hospital, where she remained for several days and underwent multiple surgeries.
During the trial, Avila described extensive physical and emotional consequences from the attack. According to Rolling Stone, she testified that surgeons used skin from her abdomen for a graft on her injured arm and that wounds to her face required dozens of stitches. She also showed jurors scarring on her arm and face.
The question of whether some of those injuries created permanent nerve damage has become important in the fight over the size of the award.
According to Rolling Stone, Doumanian challenged Judge Cotton’s tentative conclusion that there was insufficient evidence supporting permanent nerve damage. She pointed to testimony from Avila’s surgeon, who treated her following the attack and during subsequent reconstructive procedures.
The surgeon testified that Avila suffered an injury to her radial nerve that reduced movement in her wrist and fingers and affected her ability to grip objects and complete everyday activities, according to Rolling Stone. Doumanian also cited testimony concerning continuing neurological problems affecting Avila’s face.
Judge Cotton said he would consider how a reduction should be allocated, including questions surrounding the $900,000 jurors awarded Avila for future medical expenses, according to the outlet. However, he indicated that he was not inviting another round of arguments over the overall size of the proposed reduction.
The Chris Brown dog attack case has already taken several turns since the jury returned its verdict.
Following the $12.9 million award, Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, moved for a new trial. Brown’s legal team challenged the verdict on multiple grounds, including allegations of irregularities in the proceedings, jury misconduct, and excessive damages.
Rolling Stone reported that Brown’s attorneys also objected to jurors being allowed to learn that the singer had a prior felony conviction. Jurors were not given details about the underlying case, according to the outlet.
Brown testified during the dog attack trial as well. According to Rolling Stone, he told jurors that he heard his dog, Hades, growling before discovering Avila injured on the ground. Brown testified that he secured the dog and told a security guard to get help.
Brown also acknowledged that he did not personally call 911. According to his testimony reported by Rolling Stone, he was concerned that a recording of his call could leak to the media. He further testified that he left the property before paramedics arrived after being advised to do so by his manager.
Before trial, Brown admitted negligence under California’s dog bite statute, according to Rolling Stone, while continuing to dispute the extent of Avila’s claimed injuries and arguing that she shared responsibility because she went outside alone.
