Apr 3, 2007 6:15 am US/Central
Woman Sues Co-Worker For 'Negligent Dancing'
Lacey Hindman Says She Fell And Was Seriously Hurt Because Of Co-Worker's Dance Technique
CHICAGO (STNG) ―
Oldies music was playing at the Lincoln Park bar and a circle of co-workers danced.
But Lacey Hindman said she had no idea David Prange was about to grab her by the forearms and flip her into the air, jitterbug-style.
The small-framed 22-year-old said she was surprised as the stocky-built Prange tossed her airborne and she crashed headfirst into the wood floor at Stanley's Kitchen and Tap.
Hindman suffered a fractured skull and brain injuries in the April 2006 incident and is now suing Prange — whose wife, Kate, is a well-known fashion designer who owns the Shop Girl store where Hindman worked.
Hindman, of Chicago, wants unspecified damages for injuries her attorney says were caused by "negligent dancing."
"We want him to be accountable for what he did," said attorney David M. Baum.
The Pranges did not return calls Monday.
Hindman said she knew the Pranges well -- they're family friends who hired her to baby-sit and, later, to work at their Lincoln Park shop.
The dancing incident came after a book-signing at the store, and all employees were required to attend the after-party, Hindman said.
They were dancing in a group when David Prange reached over and grabbed Hindman's arms, she said.
"I was in the air, over him," she said. "I fell hard enough, you could hear the impact of me hitting the floor over the sound from the jukebox."
A store manager took her home and watched over her that night, but when she woke up "in excruciating pain" and with a "lump the size of a baseball" on the back of her head, she went to the hospital.
Her lawsuit, recently filed in Cook County Circuit Court, seeks damages for medical bills, lost wages for time she missed from work and future losses due to her injuries.
(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2006. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
