Chicago Bulls mascot sued by courtside server

The Chicago Bulls mascot, Benny the Bull, has been sued by a courtside server after she claims she injured her shoulder when the mascot used her as a crutch. The lawsuit claims that the Bulls allow the mascot to run “out of control on the court,” which caused a series of events that reportedly left her injured.

The incident occurred in 2015 during Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals in Chicago. According to the plaintiff, a former Benny the Bull actor “was running out of control on the court when he injured his ankle.”

The actor limped off the court as Benny the Bull with the help of someone else when he placed his right hand on the left shoulder of the server. The suit alleges the mascot bore down with all of his weight. The personal injury lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court Monday.

The server claims she felt an immediate sharp pain in her shoulder and heard a popping noise. The rotator cuff in the server’s left shoulder suffered a tear. The server is asking for $50,000 in damages and she is suing the mascot actor and the Bulls, who are legally responsible for his actions, according to the lawsuit.

The server still works for the the Levy Restaurant Group, which provides servers at the stadium. She has a pending workers’ compensation lawsuit against Levy.

This is not the first time the Bulls mascot has been sued. A previous incident occurred in 2008 when a doctor claims the mascot, played by the same actor at the time, tore his biceps muscle when the two high-fived each other. The dentist claims that the mascot fell forward after grabbing the arm of the doctor, hyper-extending it. This lawsuit was settled in 2010.

The actor involved in both of these incidents left the job last season after 12 years.

Have you or a loved one been injured at work? Speak with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Chicago, Illinois, about your injury and your rights to workers’ compensation benefits.

Source: Chicago Tribune, “Courtside server sues Benny the Bull, says he injured shoulder using her as crutc,” Steve Schmadeke, May 08, 2017

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