Who wouldn’t want to be Spider-man? His outfit is so much cooler than Superman’s. And what about swinging between skyscrapers by spitting that web-gook from your wrists? Isn’t that a more thrilling way of getting around than that all-so-boring Superman extended-arm flight?
Not so fast! Be careful what you wish for. At least that’s what three Spider-man actors are saying.
Let me take you back to December of 2010, when I blogged about Spider-man’s incredible 30-foot plunge to the stage floor in a Broadway performance of the musical, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Light”. His spider-swing-line failed, catapulting him to the stage below in front of a horrified crowd of Spider-man fans. But Spidey — as I like to call him — in true superhero fashion, recovered and returned to the show within months. The show must go on!
I don’t know if Spidey sued for negligence, but he should have. Whoever designed or installed that swing-line did a terrible job and should have had to pay the consequences. How could that line fail to support him without there being some negligence?
Then the actor who eventually replaced Spidey 1 — whom I’ll call Spidey 2 — was injured on the same stage (not clear how). He sued the stage equipment provider for $6 million.
That was not, however, the end of Spider-man’s stage saga. Last August another Spider-man — Spidey 3 — was injured in the same theater when his foot got caught between a mechanical lift and the stage. He suffered serious foot injuries requiring “surgeries and amputations” according to the New York personal injury lawsuit he filed last week in Manhattan.
Yes, being Spider-man is clearly a dangerous job. And a certain amount of assumption of the risk clearly comes with the job. But when injuries are caused at least in part by someone’s negligence, even Spider-man has right to recover.
Think about poor Spidey 3. He’s a young dancer-actor with a serious permanent foot injury that may deprive him of millions and millions in income over his lifetime. It makes no sense that his foot would get caught between the mechanical lift and the stage without some kind of defective design there. A proper design would not have left a wedge wide enough for his foot to get caught.
Folks, keep in mind that us New York personal injury lawyers can be superheroes, too. You might say, “I’m not the suing type”, but when you’re hurt, can’t work, can’t pay the bills, and your kids are paying the price, too, and it’s all because someone else wasn’t careful, believe me, you’ll be “the suing type” soon enough.
Hey, my suit-and-tie lawyer outfit might not be as exciting as Spider=man’s skin-tight blue-and-red costume, but when I’m on my game, in Court, I can be someone’s superhero . . . even Spider-man’s!
Keep safe!
Mike Bersani
Email me at: bersani@mbk-law.com I’d love to hear from you!
Michael G. Bersani, Esq.
mbk-law.com Central NY Superhero Personal Injury Lawyers
Michaels Bersani Kalabanka
1-315-253-3293