A federal judge in Los Angeles recently ruled that Bret Michael’s lawsuit involving an accident that occurred at the 2009 Tony Awards should be heard in a New York where the accident took place. The lawsuit stems from an incident at the Radio City Music Hall that Michaels’ claims nearly killed him. As Michaels was walking off the stage after finishing his Tony Awards performance, a mechanical set piece hit him in the head. Michaels’ suit against CBS Broadcasting and Tony organizers claims that the injuries he sustained, which included a broken nose, contributed to a brain hemorrhage that nearly cost him his life.
The basis of Michaels’ claim is that he was never notified that the stage set would be changed immediately following his performance. An additional claim involves the decision by the show organizers to continue to air the incident on television. The hemorrhage sustained by Michaels left him hospitalized and forced him to cancel a number of shows.
In switching the venue from Los Angeles to a federal court in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee based her ruling on the fact that the incident took place in New York and therefore a majority of the witnesses are located there, along with much of the potential evidence.
The personal injury lawyers at Bashian & Papantoniou are dedicated to protecting our clients who have wrongfully suffered physical injury, serious physical injury, emotional distress, battery or who are victims of intentional torts. Our firm is comprised of skilled litigators who are not afraid to take a case to trial. Our excellence in the court room and at the negotiating table provides our clients with the results that they expect and deserve.
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