Negligence is the failure to exercise the care toward others that a reasonable, prudent person would use under the same or similar circumstances, resulting in harm to another. There are four elements that must be proven to succeed in a claim of negligence: duty, breach, causation and damages. In sum, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant owed the plaintiff a legally recognized duty of care, and that the defendant breached that duty, causing the plaintiff harm.
Leander Stocks of D.C. was visiting the Maryland Live! Casino in Anne Arundel County back in 2013 when a night of fun and games suddenly took a turn for the worst. According to Stocks’s lawsuit, he was playing roulette around midnight on December 15, 2013 when a runaway ball struck him just above his left eye. Because the ball had been traveling at a high speed when it struck him, he suffered a sharp and immediate pain, followed by general disorientation. But he says this was only the first injury caused by casino employees that he experienced that night.
After the roulette incident, casino employees escorted Stocks to a private room where he could lay down. Without warning and without having asked for consent, a security guard began administering unidentified eye drops into Stocks’s eyes. According to Stocks’s lawsuit, this action amounted to a battery to his person and was a complete disregard for his right to be free from unwanted medical attention.
As reported by the Washington Business Journal, the unwanted eye drops caused Stocks to suffer blurred vision and increased pain. As a result, when he attempted to stand, he immediately fell forward striking his head against a hardwood door. He lost consciousness and was transported to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. According to his lawsuit, he continues to suffer from “post-traumatic headaches.” He is seeking $150,000 in damages.
Have you or a loved one been injured as a result of the negligence of another? If so, please call 617-787-3700 today for your free and confidential consultation with one of our dedicated Massachusetts personal injury accident attorney specialists.
