Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cell phone user sues after theater armrest hits her on the head

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Ground Level » Cell phone user sues after theater armrest hits her on the head (Page 1)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3

Author

Topic: Cell phone user sues after theater armrest hits her on the head

Manny Montes
Master Film Handler

Posts: 270
From: United States
Registered: Feb 2010

posted 03-27-2010 06:10 PM

quote:
Taj Showers, settling in for a matinee with her 10-year-old son, did just that as The Incredible Hulk was doing his thing on the big screen. She clicked her vibrating phone and hunched forward to "discreetly" hold her conversation, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court. But it was as she was leaning forward, her head tilted to the side that an upright armrest fell in to position -- bonking her so hard, she says, that she went to the hospital with a concussion.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2121672,showers-suit-cell-movie-armrest-hit-head-032410.article

I think it's karma, don't talk on your phone during a movie. Plus if an arm rest hit her hard enough to cause a concussion and "cause her to drop out of school due to blurred vision" a year after the accident, then maybe it was a kind patron behind her who gave the arm rest a little help [Smile]

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 03-28-2010 12:45 AM

When did this happen, 3 years ago? What theater is still showing a Hulk movie? I think about all she might be entitled to is an apology from the manager for having such a loose armrest. But I have never seen an armrest so heavy that it could give anyone a concussion. Something's fishy here.

| IP: Logged

John Joseph Fink
Film Handler

Posts: 60
From: West Hartford, CT
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 03-28-2010 01:00 AM

No way to prove her symptoms were from this specific incident - maybe she's into autoerotic asphyxiation on the side! This one will have a hard time standing up in court, then again for talking on a cell phone during the show she probably deserves to be smacked upside the head.

| IP: Logged

Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-28-2010 01:38 AM

I'm trying to visualize how her head could be in such a position that even a loose armrest would have sufficient range of motion to actually hit her on the head. Even if she was ducking below the level of the seats in front of her, the arm rest would almost certainly hit her shoulder before her head. I would really be interested in see someone make a video trying to replicate a position where this was even possible.

| IP: Logged

John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-28-2010 01:49 AM

Maybe she was doing something else 'down there'. [Eek!]

| IP: Logged

Ian Parfrey
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1049
From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E
Registered: Feb 2009

posted 03-28-2010 02:35 AM

I'm surprised the headline wasn't "Golden Showers Opportunity as Armrest Thumps Thickhead on Mobile in Movie"

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 03-28-2010 10:42 AM

quote: Justin Hamaker
I'm trying to visualize how her head could be in such a position that even a loose armrest would have sufficient range of motion to actually hit her on the head.

^^This.

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 03-28-2010 11:54 AM

Since no one seems to have gotten it, this isn't a case of a fixed-armrest hitting her. It sure sounds like it was where the armrest is able to be moved up and out of the way. She leaned forward (and apparently to the side a bit) and the armrest hit her in the head (likely the back of it since she's got the blurred vision and all).

| IP: Logged

Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 03-28-2010 12:02 PM

I'm sorry but something is not right with this story. Those fold up arm rests are just not heavy enough to cause that kind of injury. There has to be more too this than what is being report in the new story, either for or against the plaintiff. Unfortunately, like most of these kind of stories, we are unlikely to hear about the outcome.

| IP: Logged

Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 03-28-2010 12:12 PM

It sounds to me like maybe she bent down to talk on the phone and hit the back of the arm rest of the seat in front of her. Either way she is a dummy and this lawsuit is frivilous.

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 03-28-2010 12:21 PM

quote: Sean McKinnon
It sounds to me like maybe she bent down to talk on the phone and hit the back of the arm rest of the seat in front of her. Either way she is a dummy and this lawsuit is frivilous.

The way it reads, the armrest fell from where it had been and to her head. Assuming she isn't lying, that definitely isn't hitting the one in front of her.

quote: Mitchell Dvoskin
Those fold up arm rests are just not heavy enough to cause that kind of injury.

Depends. It really doesn't take that much force to cause a concussion. And it could be these armrests were ones that were extremely heavy. Though the woman will have a hard time proving her case.

| IP: Logged

James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 03-28-2010 12:43 PM

I only wish it read "Woman sues after irate customer knocks cell phone out of her hand, kicks her over and stomps on her head."

| IP: Logged

John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-28-2010 01:31 PM

In all probability the insurance company will wave a few dollers in front of her and there will be a settlement. More costly to go to court. That may or may not be fair, but that's the way it works the majority of the time.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-28-2010 03:53 PM

I think the lady is lying her ass off just to get a big pay day. Her story is absolute bullshit. There's not enough weight in a theater chair arm rest to cause a concussion if it dropped down from the upright position. At the very worst you might get a small bump on your head. That's about it.

Maybe if someone ripped the arm rest from his chair and beat her in the head with it I could believe that would cause a concussion. I think the judge needs to take his gavel and beat her about the teeth and gums for wasting the court's time.

| IP: Logged

Connor Kirkwood
Film Handler

Posts: 25
From: Portland, OR, USA
Registered: Jul 2009

posted 03-28-2010 11:15 PM

I'm rigging all of our armrests to do this whenever someone starts talking on a cell phone during the feature.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.