Fan sues Bulls over Benny the Bull high-five

April 22nd, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

Ah, the high-five. Symbol of brotherhood. Symbol of congratulations. A sign that we feel each other, bro. It’s akin to the butt slap, the fist pound, the handshake. But tread lightly, friends. It might also get yo ass sued. Just ask this Bulls fan who had Benny the Bull (allegedly) darn near rip his arm off.

Instead of merely slapping Kalant’s palm, Anderson grabbed his arm as he fell forward, hyperextending Kalant’s arm and rupturing his biceps muscle, according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.

“Benny’s flying down the aisle, giving everybody high-fives,” Kalant’s attorney, Shawn Kasserman, said Monday in a telephone interview. “When he gets to Dr. Kalant, he either inadvertently trips or, as part of the shtick, trips. . . . He grabbed Kalant’s arm and fell forward.”

[ … ]

Kalant stayed for the rest of the game but later had surgery and could miss as much as four months of work, Kasserman said. Kalant is seeking unspecified damages for medical bills, physical pain and lost earnings. The lawsuit claims Anderson was negligent in either “falling forward while grabbing a fan’s hand” or “running out of control” through the crowd.

If this lawsuit is to be believed, that’s some serious damage to pay for sticking your arm out for a high-five. I feel sorry for the guy. But hey, perhaps Benny was just over-the-top on his high-fives this season because the Bulls players certainly weren’t giving him any this year. Hi-yo!