Personal Injury

Around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, a paparazzo was hit and injured by a car carrying the infamous Lindsay Lohan.

The incident – described by police as an “assault with a deadly weapon” – occurred behind the Hotel Café on North Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood.

According to witnesses, a group of paparazzi surrounded the black BMW as Lohan and her assistant got inside the car in the alley behind the club. The driver then stepped on the gas before the group of photographers could move out of the way, hitting one man and injuring his wrist and leg and drove away.

The injured paparazzo was treated at the scene and interviewed by the Los Angeles Police Department after they responded to a “vehicle versus a pedestrian traffic collision” report.

One paparazzo who witnessed the incident said Lohan was in the car with a male assistant and a female assistant, wearing dark sunglasses, was driving. The driver, however, is still unidentified.

No arrests have been made and police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident.

Singer Adam Lambert was also at the club with Lohan and Tweeted, “Hotel Café was wild last night” on Sunday.

Isn’t every night out involving Lindsay Lohan wild?

Well that’s in my opinion, but it seems that her carpenter thinks otherwise. Her handyman, Daniel Ortiz is suing the funny lady for a personal injury incurred while working on her Malibu home. He is claiming that he took a tumble into a ditch in 2007 due to negligence on the behalf of Ms. Streisand.

Quick interjection – 2007, that seems like it was a quite a while ago buddy! Back to the lawsuit that was filed at the beginning of December of 2009. Ortiz shared with the L.A. Superior court that the fall into the ditch has caused him “humiliation, fear, discomfort, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, and emotional and physical distress.”

I can’t say that I’ve ever fallen into a ditch, but I’ve had a few injuries myself, and well that seems like a lot of backlash from falling into a hole. The negligence is being found on the grounds that Barb failed to “take steps to either make the dangerous condition safe or warn [Ortiz] of the ditch — which he fell into while exiting an on-site trailer.”  All I can say is For Petes Sake, good luck Bard.

Tiger Woods

GM apparently believes there is.   The Cadillac Escalade which was involved in the Tiger Woods car accident is on General Motors list of planned repairs.  According to the Cadillac spokesman, David Caldwell, the car receives the royal treatment because it was a promotional car.  He continued by saying, “The vehicle will be repaired, firstly. This is a promotional/marketing vehicle — the kinds of cars used for advertising, public displays, photography, etc. That makes this a little different than a garden-variety care repair — given its special usage.”  Other potential futures for the now infamous Tiger Woods Cadillac Escalade is for it to be auctioned off.  Many wonder if it would be worth more as a wreck than repaired.

In Other Celeb Car Accident News…

When celebrities get in wrecks, they aren’t the only ones that get injured.  On October 11, 2009, Brit award-winning singer and musician Robbie Williams was in a bit of his own car crash in north London.  While leaving a comeback performance from the X Factor TV studios, fans gathered outside when the unexpected occurred.

Robbie Williams

A young teenage photographer was accidentally hit by the singers chauffeur.  He was caught under the Chrysler with both of his legs.  Robbie Williams was obviously upset by the accident and checked on the man after the collision.  Thankfully, he was taken to the hospital and only suffered minor injuries.

Robbie Williams car accident

The costs of this car accident could cost Robbie Williams a pretty penny.  Looks like it’s time to call on the lawyer!

Kate, Cameron, and Reese all have something in common. That is, something besides being beautiful A-list actresses who land lead roles and take home million dollar paychecks.  All three have filed lawsuits against American Media, parent company to tabloids such as the National Enquirer and Star Magazine.

But just what were the respective rumors that got each of these ladies riled and dialing the nearest  injury attorney in Los Angeles to defend their good names?

In May 2005 The National Enquirer ran a an article entitled “Cameron Caught Cheating”  which claimed that the star  was having an affair with married TV producer  Shane Nickerson and ran photos in which they said the two were kissing. Diaz, who was then dating singer Justin Timberlake, sued the magazine for more than $10 million dollars. The BBC reported that Nickerson stated that they were “simply sharing a brief goodbye” and in the end the court awarded Diaz “substantial damages” for the false story.

Back in 2006 Reese Witherspoon may have been channeling her inner Elle Woods when she sued American Media in  Los Angeles Superior Court, citing invasion of privacy, for a Star Magazine article that claimed she was pregnant and wearing “empire dresses” and “baggy clothing” to cover up the pregnancy. The magazine ran the story accompanied by pictures of Witherspoon in what they described as a “1920s style bathing suit” as proof that the star had something to hide.

This year Kate Winslet took her turn against American Media for an article that ran in the Daily Mail back in January. The libel in this case?  The British actress said that the magazine lied when they printed that she lied about her exercise habits. The article called into question her claim that she did not go to the gym regularly but worked out at home.  In the end Winslet was awarded $41,000 when she “exercised” her right to fight what she maintained was a fitness falsehood.

Just two weeks after Walt Disney World posted a third-quarter profit 26% LESS than this time last year, the Florida Magic Kingdom has been beleaguered with legal issues such as sexual assault, wrongful deaths, and personal injuries.

Minnie Mouse Victim of Sexual Assault

Most recently, Pennsylvania resident John Moyer, 60, was convicted of molesting Minnie Mouse during a visit Moyer and his family made to Toontown at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. Arguments were ridiculous – can you fondle a mouse? Criminal defense attorneys for Moyer said that Disney employees and Moyer’s family didn’t witness the sexual assault. Nonetheless, Moyer was convicted yesterday of misdemeanor battery for the fondling. The punishment for misdemeanor battery in Florida is a $1,000 fine and one year in jail.

Wrongful Deaths in Walt Disney World

Monorail Train Accident Causes Wrongful Death

Tragically, 21-year-old monorail operator Austin Wuennenberg was killed July 5, 2009 after a July 4th fireworks celebration. The part-time operator died when another monorail train operator backed up into his rail. Human error was said to have caused the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating employee records, hours of employment, and training. Austin Wuennenberg’s family can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against Walt Disney World for pain and suffering and funeral expenses.

Slip and Fall Accident Reason for Wrongful Death

Also in July, 47-year-old Mark Priest died a few days after a slip and fall accident during a pirate show performance near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Accident victim Priest slipped on a wet spot on the ground during a planned stumble of the performance. He hit his head on a wall and was brought to the hospital where he seemed to have been recovering. However, a few days later he died. The cause of death is still unknown.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are investigating Priest’s wrongful death.

If someone is injured or dies as the result of a slip and fall at their workplace, their immediate family members can engage in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Walt Disney World Bus Accident Causes Injuries

Just when it couldn’t get any worse, two Walt Disney World buses collided about a month ago. The collision caused injuries to twelve out of the 50 passengers. It occurred during a trip from the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary Resort Hotel. The bus crash was outside the Contemporary Resort.

The twelve people that were injured would be wise to hire an Orlando personal injury attorney specializing in bus accidents. They can sue Walt Disney World for medical expenses, and loss of income relating to the accident.

Goes to show you … Disney World is no Fantasyland.