No matter how careful you are, some accidents are simply inevitable. When all is said and done, the victims of such traumatic events are left to pick up the pieces and try to move on. However, this can be challenging if these accidents result in severe permanent injuries or, worse, death.
Initiating a lawsuit against the perpetrator can be scary if you do not have expert legal help to facilitate the process. Yet, you must understand that nobody is above the law. You’d be surprised how many big names were once linked to huge personal injury lawsuits. Here are 6 celebrities that were a part of personal injury cases.
1- Gloria Estefan
Gen Z’ers and some millennials may not be familiar with Gloria Estefan, but she was an admired singer in the late 80s and early 90s. Estefan rose to fame by performing as the lead singer of a band called “Miami Latin Boys”, one of the 80s most famous bands. However, her solo career had a shaky start.
While she was on tour, a truck smashed into her bus. The accident resulted in her sustaining a severe spinal injury that immobilized her. After a difficult surgery and a lengthy course of physical therapy, Estefan could finally lead a normal life.
She did not let this incident slide though and filed for compensation. The lawsuit was settled when the truck company the driver used to work for offered her around $9 million as reimbursement.
2- Hulk Hogan
The sins of the father? More like the sins of the son! Although Hogan himself did not do anything wrong, his name was still smeared due to his son’s negligence. According to skilled Alabama lawyers, this case is the perfect example of why reckless driving is one of the many factors behind car accidents.
Hogan’s son, Nick Bollea, crashed his car into a tree. Although Nick got away with some scratches and minor wounds, his companion, John Graziano, was not as lucky. Graziano remained in critical condition at the hospital for two years.
On the other hand, Nick was imprisoned for five months before Hogan interfered and settled the lawsuit with the victim’s family.
3- Adrian Bailey
It is not all fairy tales and happy endings when it comes to Disney. Disney’s 2008 Broadway musical “The Little Mermaid” involved one of the most horrendous accidents known to date. During his performance, actor Adrian Bailey took a 20-foot fall through a trapdoor on stage.
The fall resulted in multiple broken bones and four surgeries, which no doubt changed the actor’s life forever. Bailey filed a lawsuit against Disney for negligence. Unfortunately, the case reached an impasse in 2012, and Bailey was not compensated for his injuries.
4- Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels, the main face of the famous rock band “Poison”, experienced a different kind of stage fright when he was performing live during the Tony Award broadcast hosted by CBS in 2009. After a great performance, part of the set came apart and hit him square in the face—an accident that led to a broken nose.
What seemed like a minor injury at first turned out to be more serious. In a few months, Michaels discovered that the incident resulted in a brain injury. The personal injury lawsuit he initiated was settled when CBS offered monetary compensation for its negligence.
5- Lindsey Lohan
Staying true to her role in “Mean Girls”, Lohan pulled no punches when she found herself being chased by the paparazzi. Grigor Baylan, a known photographer, was the victim of her antics when her car hit him before he could take a photo of her.
While Lohan’s driver was technically the person who ran Baylan over, the photographer proceeded to file a lawsuit against her. He was awarded $25,000 as reimbursement.
6- Britney Spears
Trouble does not seem to leave Britney alone. During one of her rehearsals, Spears looked dazed and unprepared for her dance routine. Little did Britney know that her carelessness would end up being the reason behind one of her dancers’ broken noses!
Dawn Noel, the injured dancer, did not accept Spears’s apology and sued her for negligence and battery in 2014. There are currently no updates on the case, but it is speculated that it has been settled outside court.
We live in a world where negligence has a price. With thousands of accidents happening every year, it is no surprise that civil courts deal with numerous personal injury lawsuits on a regular basis. Even celebrities might find themselves embroiled in similar cases from time to time.
If you have been involved in an accident and want to protect your rights, don’t hesitate to file a lawsuit. However, we recommend that you hire a skilled attorney to help you navigate the intricacies of the law.
