Lawsuit over "negligent dancing"

[Photomuse]

Yikes...


CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- A woman is suing her dance partner, claiming he dropped her on her head after flipping her into the air at an office party.

Lacey Hindman, 22, was a victim of "negligent dancing," says her lawyer, David M. Baum.

In the suit, Hindman claims that during a party at a Chicago bar and restaurant in April 2006, David Prange grabbed her by the forearms and tossed her in the air, and then she crashed to the wood floor.

"I was in the air, over him," Hindman said. "I fell hard enough you could hear the impact of me hitting the floor over the sound from the jukebox."

Hindman said in the suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, that she suffered a fractured skull and brain injuries. She is seeking damages for medical bills and lost wages for time missed from work.

Hindman worked for Prange's wife, Kate Prange, at Shop Girl, a women's boutique.

There was no immediate response to a call seeking comment from David Prange on Tuesday.

 

[Barry]

That boutique has quite the selection of ponchos!

 

[HadleyH]

Yikes...


CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- A woman is suing her dance partner, claiming he dropped her on her head after flipping her into the air at an office party.

bwahahahh! I know, I know it just sounds funny to me, that's all.
Funny aside i hope that poor woman is ok by now.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

Terribly sad, very serious injuries, she's lucky to be talking...

just goes to prove once again, what every serious lindy hopper should know: If you're gonna do aerials with someone, it'd better be someone you know Really Well, and Really Trust... (and have practiced with LOTS) And even then...

(still remember reading a story about a year or two ago of an experienced couple practicing after they admitted they were both too tired, on the front lawn, and he dropped her on her head... she was in the hospital in a halo for some time, of course he felt terrible... they kept dancing together I understand, though much more cautios about knowing when to take a rest)

 

[Paisley]

Well, it was a matter of time. Most people I see doing aerials look like they don't know what they're doing. Newbie dancers don't seem to understand that your aerials aren't going to look any better than the rest of your dancing. So I'm really not impressed with most aerials I see.

When girls ask my best guy friend if he does aerials, he says he doesn't have insurance.

 

[lindylady]

Well, I'm relieved that the lady is recovering despite a potentially life-threatening injury. But what's with the legal jargon? "Negligent dancing"? As a Lindy hopper and a soon-to-be lawyer, I must say that this is my first time hearing that legal term. Must be really new on the books.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

If you just call it battery or assault, it's not going to be picked up by the news. Something like "negligent dancing" would. It sounds like the guy should've been arrested on the spot - she's standing there, he grabs her with no warning & tosses her in the air, she cracks her skull and ends up on her way to the ER. It seems ridiculous it's even made it to a lawsuit - the boss & her idiot husband should've paid the medical bills and kept paying her usual salary, no questions asked. It could very easily have been fatal or paralyzed her for the rest of her life.

 

[warbird]

Negligence is negligence. That dancing part was added for literary flair. Probably isn't in the official suit.

OK, I see where she said he grabbed her by the forearms. I don't see anywhere where she said he grabbed her out of nowhere or that she wasn't dancing with him. They simply explained how it was she got into the air in the first place. You very well may be right, however it did not say that in the article. So please don't interject facts that are not there.

 

[missjo]

A man should ask a lady for a dance properly.
She should say yes only if she feels comfortable dancing with him.
Dancing is something you do together, you take a risk.
They sometimes step on your toes, it happens.
Besides, ladies dont dance like that anyway

 

[Paisley]

She may have been dancing with him voluntarily, but without consenting to an aerial. That happened to me once: a dance partner flipped me end over end like a rag doll. It happened so fast there was nothing I could do but scream. Fortunately, I landed upright without incident.

If the lady consented to the aerials, though, I don't see that she has a legal leg to stand on. (Sorry, I couldn't resist. )

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Maybe a refresher course in Newtonian physics is in order for dancers? Ouch!

 

[ShooShooBaby]

She may have been dancing with him voluntarily, but without consenting to an aerial. That happened to me once: a dance partner flipped me end over end like a rag doll. It happened so fast there was nothing I could do but scream. Fortunately, I landed upright without incident.

If the lady consented to the aerials, though, I don't see that she has a legal leg to stand on. (Sorry, I couldn't resist. )

as a dancer, i totally agreee with you paisley. consenting to DANCE does not mean consenting to be hurt in any way. i've had the surprise aerial sprung on me before and it's horrid and (as we see here) potentially very dangerous. and then there's the stupid fancy exaggerated dips, and the guys who think that yanking you around is dancing. not all of them take subtle or not-so-subtle messages to stop, either! some people in the local dance scene might think i'm a snob, but i rarely will dance with someone whom i haven't watched dance before. neither do i say yes to these hurt-ers just to be polite. i have a bad back, knee, and wrist, and just can't risk getting hurt! normal dancing is fine, but out-of-control leads are too much.

sorry for the ramble and the off-topic-ness!

 

[Paisley]

In the weeks and months following my car accident, dips were painful. So I told my partners, "no dips" and "be gentle." I also told guys I wasn't familiar with who asked me to dance, "I'm sorry, but I was recently in an accident and I'm only dancing with people I'm familiar with. But thank you for asking." There's nothing wrong with politely saying no.

A person could also say in that case, "Do you mind if we wait for a slower song?"

 

[dhermann1]

At New York Swing Dance society we have a rule against aerials. Aside from injuring your partner, you run the risk of landing on an innocent bystander. I always tell people to keep their shoulders over the balls of their feet. Beginning dancers are always impressed with the flashy stuff, but the real art, and the real enjoyment, comes from mastering the basics, and getting really smooth at the simple stuff. Keeping your feet under your shoulders also prevents that more common occurance, kicking your neighbor.

 

[celtic]

Beginning dancers are always impressed with the flashy stuff, but the real art, and the real enjoyment, comes from mastering the basics, and getting really smooth at the simple stuff. Keeping your feet under your shoulders also prevents that more common occurance, kicking your neighbor.

Sounds like this advice should be given in Sex Ed as well..

 

[rockyj]

That is some news

Lets hope that Boxers don't follow suit.