This story reminds me of the lady that scored millions in a settlement, after it was ruled that McDonalds was at fault for her burning herself with hot coffee. The coffee cups weren’t labeled with ‘WARNING HOT’ signs.
A man is suing the Las Vegas based ‘Planet Hollywood’, after claiming a mannequin, placed in his room as a decoration; caused him to severely injure himself while running away thinking it was an intruder.
The AP connects the dots on this bizarre story:
“[Kent] Boutwell said he was shocked and surprised by a human figure when he entered his darkened hotel room in the heart of the Strip in May 2015. As he tried to escape the room thinking that there was a person inside who was there to hurt him, he said he suffered serious injuries.
It turned out that the human figure was a mannequin wearing a “Miller Lite” racing suit that was locked in a glass cabinet.
The lawsuit claims he suffered undefined injuries to his body, limbs, organs, mind and nervous systems, resulting in conditions that may be permanent and disabling.
The lawsuit claims a life-sized human figure in a darkened room is dangerous and hazardous and that Planet Hollywood should warn its customers about the mannequins.
Boutwell said the incident has left him limited in what he can do for work and fun, including a loss of life enjoyment. He’s seeking damages to cover his medical bills, attorney fees, pain and suffering and wages and earning potential.”
The crazy thing is, chances are Boutwell will end up coming out of this a rich man. It’s one of those obvious cases no one thinks of until it happens; kind of like the McDonalds label situation. The hotel will likely settle for an undisclosed amount, then remove the rest of the mannequins from their rooms.
Life-altering injuries are never a good thing, but sustaining them at the hands of a huge Vegas hotel far outweigh many other possibilities.