Personal injury is not something that only affects a certain group of people. Anyone can fall victim to someone else’s negligence, even celebrities. Over the years there have been many personal injury suits that have involved some big names in Tinsel Town. The following list is four prominent personal injury cases that involve celebrities.

*Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances

Bret Michaels v. Tony Award Productions, CBS

Back in early 2011, Poison front man and reality star Bret Michaels filed suit against Tony Award Productions, CBS, and several others for an accident that occurred in 2009. Michaels was performing at the Tony Awards, and when he was exiting the stage he was struck by a backdrop that was lowering. He was treated immediately following the incident for a broken nose and he also received stitches on his lip. In April 2010 Michaels was rushed to the hospital after experiencing an extremely painful headache, and it was discovered that he had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage.

In the lawsuit he argues that the accident led to his brain hemorrhage. Michaels claims that he was not informed how he was supposed to exit the stage which caused him to be stuck by the backdrop. People Magazine reported that the type of hemorrhage that Michaels suffered typically stems from head trauma. His attorney, Alex Weingarten, issued the following statement, “The Tony Awards dropped a piece of the stage on Bret’s head, and then instead of doing the right thing, joked about it and played it off for ratings … Bret never wanted to file a lawsuit, but the Tony Awards have left us with no choice. They must be held accountable for almost killing Bret, and that is what we are going to do.”

It was reported that Michaels asked for specific instruction with regards to where he should exit and he was told simply to exit in the rear. The Tony’s later tried to spin the incident claiming that Michaels made the mistake. The case is still pending and both CBS and the Tony Awards have abstained from making a comment.

James Marshall v. Hoffman-LaRoche

James Marshall may not be a name you recognize right away, he is best known for acting opposite Jack Nickleson, Tom Cruise, and Demi Moore in “A Few Good Men,” as well as for his work on the T.V. show “Twin Peaks.” His career came seemingly to a halt in 1993 when he began taking the acne medication, Accutane and then developed symptoms of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. Complications of this disease led to Marshall having part of his colon removed in 1995. In his case against the makers of Accutane (who have been involved in many civil cases because of adverse effects of the drug that has been taken off the market in the U.S.) Marshall testified that he has to use the facilities 20 times a day because of his IBD.

Although he filed his suit in 2006, it took nearly 5 years to make it through the New Jersey Superior Courts. Marshall had a star studded list of witnesses including actor Martin Sheen. He testified that the changes in Marshall after he had his colon surgery led to the demise of his career. Sheen reported that after the surgery Marshall “looked very wan, very thin, and kind of wasted.” Unfortunately for Marshall the jury felt that an intestinal problem the former actor had when he was 18 was a precursor for his disease.

There have been a mixture of verdicts siding for and against Hoffman-LaRoche and their legal battles are far from over. Bloomberg news reported that nearly 13,000,000 people have taken Accutane since it was introduced in 1982. The company said that it pulled the medication from the market because, “Roche has been faced with high costs from personal-injury lawsuits that the company continues to defend vigorously.”

Adrian Bailey v. Disney

Adrian Bailey was a member of the cast for “The Little Mermaid” Broadway musical. Shortly before the May 10, 2008 matinee performance at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Baily fell through a trap door injuring himself severely. He was treated for a broken back, a shattered pelvis, a fractured sternum, fractured wrists, a fractured foot, and several fractured wrists. By May 14 of that year he had already had four surgeries.

Bailey filed the lawsuit against Disney as well as George Tsypin Design, Niscon, and Showman Fabricators Inc. Bailey claims that the defendants are responsible for his injuries because of their negligence and also because there were not adequate warnings or devices in place that could have prevented his fall.

Playbill reported that Bailey’s attorneys have argued that this tragedy could have easily been avoided with some added preventative attention. Bailey is seeking unspecified compensation.

“My life has been changed forever. It will never be the same. My immediate goal is to somehow be able to walk up to my own apartment and care for myself. I try to stay positive. I look forward to being made whole some day and being fully compensated for my injuries,” Bailey said.

Disney tends to keep lawsuits brought up against them under lock and key, and not much information has been released about the status of the case since it was filed in 2008.

Grigor Balyan v. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan is no stranger to the legal system, but this time she will appear for something other than her personal struggles. A paparazzo named Grigor Balyan has filed a personal injury claim against the actress and her chauffeur, Paola Demara. Balyan claims that the star’s car ran him over outside of a Hollywood club as he was trying to take her picture. He filed his suit last week and according to Entertainment Weekly, it stated, “Defendants, each of them, so negligently, carelessly, and recklessly operated, maintained, repaired, owned, and controlled their automobile so as to cause an accident which resulted in personal injuries and property damage to Plaintiff.”

Lohan was not driving the car at the time of the accident. Balyan is suing for an unknown amount, but according to EW it exceeds $25,000.

Even celebrities can be victims of injury and can cause it. Accidents that leave you hurt are no joke no matter what parties are involved. If you or someone you love has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the South Jersey accident attorneys at Console & Associates P.C. today to set up your free, confidential consultation.

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