Reality Stars and Personal Injury Lawsuits
18-Jun-2011 Papers were filed by personal injury attorneys in New York State Supreme Court earlier this week alleging that Adolfo Arreola and Jason Gomez were assaulted by cast members from Bravo's hit show "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" in the Dominican Republic in late February.
One of the housewives, Teresa Giudice, is accused of inciting the brawl when she opened a bottle of champagne and sprayed it all over the group that was with Arreola and Gomez. According to People magazine and personal injury attorneys involved, "the lawsuit claims the champagne 'caused severe eye irritation' for Arreola's mother-in-law, Teresa allegedly 'laughed at, mocked, humiliated, insulted and physically approached' the offended party."
The personal injury lawsuit also alleges that Giudice's husband, Joe, along with Albert Manzo, Albie Manzo and Christopher Manzo attacked the plaintiffs without provocation. The personal injury suit names the previously referenced cast members, along with Bravo, the production company and the Hard Rock Hotel and is seeking unspecified damages.
Chicago personal injury lawyers know that this is just the latest in a long series of lawsuits to come out of reality television. Perhaps it is the notoriety of being on television, or the amount of alcohol sometimes consumed by reality show stars while filming, but it is a recipe for disaster - and personal injury lawsuits naming not only individuals but also large television and production companies like Bravo.
For example, the MTV network has come under fire for reality shows including "The Real World", "Teen Mom" and "Jersey Shore." Just last summer a woman sued MTV along with Viacom and 495 Productions after she was allegedly injured following a fight with a "Jersey Shore" cast member. She went on to allege that the network and production company were involved in racketeering and "actively engaged in a criminal enterprise because it is making money off of advertising sales for a television show promoting criminal behavior," according to the NY Daily News. The "Jersey Shore" has also come under fire in the past for having individuals sign waivers when they were "clearly intoxicated."
Chicago personal injury lawyers advise that it is never a good idea to get intoxicated to the point where you do not understand the implications of a legal document you are signing. Additionally, becoming involved in a physical confrontation fueled by intoxication is a poor choice. If you or a family member have been injured by another person, intoxicated or otherwise, you can benefit from the advice of a Chicago personal injury lawyer.

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VERDICTS &
SETTELMENTS
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$1,225,000 settlement for a speedway patron who got hit by a baseball-sized rock kicked up by a race car. The rock hit her so hard, she needed an emergency tracheostomy and brain surgery.
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$6,000,000 settlement for our client, a 4 month old baby whose doctors had failed to diagnose a brain infection that left her with permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy.
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$11,800,000.00 in a product liability settlement for a father of five who tragically died when his tire treads failed, causing his vehicle to roll over.
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We obtained a $5 million settlement for a woman whose son died when his physician failed to diagnose a tumor.
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A woman recovered $2.25 million in a medical malpractice case, in which the woman's obstetrician/gynecologist failed to spot her cancer on a pap smear, causing our client to have to undergo multiple, surgeries.
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A $2 million verdict was obtained for a woman whose Ob/Gyn failed to refer her to a gynecologist to treat what turned out to be a malignant uterine sarcoma.
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We obtained a $1.7 million settlement in a nursing home neglect case in which a 72 year-old man suffered radiator burns so severe that he had to have his legs amputated.
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We obtained a $1.4 million award in a slip and fall case involving a 13 year-old boy who developed severe hip trouble after falling down the stairs of his high-rise.
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A $1.25 million settlement in favor of our client, an 18 year-old boy who lost most of his vision after being assaulted by a security guard.
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We obtained a $1.15 million settlement for our client, a little girl who suffered severed burns as a direct result of fire code ordinance violations.
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A union painter whose legs got crushed by a forklift recovered $1 million in damages.
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A $1 million settlement in favor of our client, a hemophiliac, who suffered severe soft tissue damage in a car accident.
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A union steel worker who injured his back moving a 300 pound steel beam in the rain recovered $1 million for his construction site work injury.
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We obtained a $900,000 settlement in the case of a beaten prison inmate who died after being given the wrong medication at the hospital.
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We obtained a $600,000 settlement for a man who suffered a below the knee amputation after his friend accidentally shot him with a hunting rifle at a restaurant.
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A 54 year-old woman recovered $600,000 in a product liability settlement after her oven mitt exploded and severely burned her breasts.
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A woman who had lost her baby to fetal distress while in the hospital was awarded $500,000 for medical malpractice.
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An 81 year-old bedridden stroke victim recovered $390,000 after he developed what would turn out to be fatal pressure ulcers stemming from negligent nursing care.
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A nursing home resident won a settlement of $300,000 stemming from a hip fracture accident. His nursing staff had failed to take proper fall-risk precautions.
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We obtained a settlement of $250,000 for the estate of a 21 year-old man who, after sustaining life-threatening injuries in an automobile accident, subsequently died in the hospital due to the staff's failure to insert a chest tube.
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We obtained a settlement of $175,000 for the estate of a woman whose negligent nursing home care resulted in bed sore ulcers that led to an infection that ultimately caused her death.
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We obtained a $150,000 settlement for a 69 year-old stroke victim who had to have an above the knee amputation due to nursing home neglect.
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A $150,000 verdict was recovered for the estate of a 79 year-old man, who suffered bed sores stemming from nursing home neglect that ultimately contributed to his death.
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