Comedian George Wallace wins $1.3 million judgment against casino over injury

[April 09, 2014]  (Reuters) — Comic George Wallace won a $1.3 million civil judgment against a Las Vegas casino resort for injuries he sustained during a 2007 performance, when tripped on audio cables, in a jury verdict returned on Tuesday.

The comedian was appearing at a corporate holiday party at the Bellagio when he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon from getting tangled in the cables, which should have been properly secured, his attorney Dominic Gentile said.

Wallace, who was best man at Jerry Seinfeld's wedding, filed a lawsuit against the casino resort in 2009 accusing it of negligence. An eight-member jury found the Bellagio had breached its duty of care to Wallace, according to a court document describing the verdict.

Wallace, 61, was awarded $1.2 million for loss of income, $100,000 for pain and suffering and $8,500 for medical expenses, the document stated.

Wallace told reporters after the verdict that the injury had caused him to walk with a permanent limp.

Gentile, who had previously asked that his client be awarded several million dollars for the injury and other damages, said he respected the jury's decision.

Bellagio's attorneys argued in court that its employees were not responsible for Wallace's injury, spokeswoman Mary Hynes said. Hynes said the Bellagio was "reviewing the jury's verdict and our legal options."

Wallace has appeared on "The Tonight Show," "Oprah" and "The Late Show with David Letterman," as well as the 2009 film "Funny People."

(Reporting by Laila Kearney in San Francisco; editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Paul Tait)

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.