The Chicago Bulls are being sued by a dentist who alleges he was injured following a run-in with team mascot Benny the Bull.
According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, Dr. Don Kalant Sr. filed a lawsuit Monday claiming he suffered a rupturing biceps muscle February 12 when a high-five with the fuzzy red mascot went awry.
“Benny’s flying down the aisle, giving everybody high-fives,” Kalant’s attorney, Shawn Kasserman, told the newspaper. “When he gets to Dr. Kalant, he either inadvertently trips or, as part of the shtick, trips. … He grabbed Kalant’s arm and fell forward.”
Instead of slapping Kalant’s palm, Benny the Bull – played by Barry Anderson – allegedly grabbed his arm as he fell forward, hyperextending Kalant’s arm and causing the injury.
An oral surgeon, Kalant is expected to miss as much as four months of work due to the injury.
Kalant, who remained at the game after the incident, is seeking unspecified damages for medical bills, physical pain and lost earnings.
The lawsuit claims Anderson was negligent in either “falling forward while grabbing a fan’s hand” or “running out of control” through the crowd. The Bulls are legally responsible as Anderson’s employer, the suit alleged.
Anderson also made news in 2006 when, dressed as Benny the Bull, he was arrested for allegedly punching an off-duty sheriff’s deputy who tried to stop him from riding a mini-motorcycle through Chicago’s Grant Park. Those charges were later dropped.
So what’s your opinion on this. Is it right or just….*snicker*…BS?
See, I figure if he stayed to watch the game, he wasn’t in THAT much pain.