PHILADELPHIA – The case of a now-deceased SugarHouse Casino customer injured in a poker room accident caused by another patron has been settled prior to assignment for trial, according to court records.
On April 5, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas Judge Shelley Robins-New announced the litigation brought by Betty Bunch and James Bunch of Philadelphia against SugarHouse HSP Gaming, LP had been settled before coming to trial. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The plaintiffs, both of Philadelphia, initially filed suit in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on Aug. 23, 2017 versus SugarHouse Casino, also of Philadelphia.
(After Betty’s death in November 2017, James was left as the case’s sole plaintiff.)
On Dec. 18, 2016, Betty was a customer at SugarHouse Casino and gambling in the poker room, when a patron seated next to her fell backwards in his chair, which led him to grab Betty’s chair on the way down and caused her to fall and become injured, allegedly. The suit said the cause of the other patron’s fall was visible alcohol intoxication, and that patron passed out after the incident.
According to the litigation, the casino was negligent in not having enough staff on hand, not properly training its staff to avoid overserving patrons into intoxication failing to take reasonable measures to prevent injury to the plaintiff and in violating the Dram Shop Act, among other charges.
In the accident, Betty allegedly suffered serious and permanent injuries, including a left hip sprain and strain, right knee sprain and strain and a right ankle sprain and strain, as well as aches, pains, mental anxiety and anguish, and a severe shock to her entire nervous system.
Prior to settlement and for counts of violating the Dram Shop Act and loss of consortium, the plaintiff was seeking damages in excess of $50,000.
Through counsel, the plaintiff filed a motion for distribution of survival benefits on July 30.
The plaintiff was represented by Brandon A. Swartz and Sarah R. Nayeem of Swartz Culleton, in Newtown.
The defendant was represented by Patrick J. Stapleton III and Christine C. McGuigan of Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby, in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 170802250
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com