Kenneth Goldblatt | October 20, 2018 | Personal Injury
Syracuse, NY — Rick Springfield took the stand this morning in state Supreme Court on accusations he injured a Liverpool woman during a fall at a 2004 State Fair concert.
Rick Springfield arrives to court today before state Supreme Court Justice Anthony Paris.
The 1980s pop icon was the first witness called to testify this morning in the trial before Justice Anthony Paris in the old Onondaga County courthouse.
Springfield wore a suit and striped tie to court. He spent about two hours explaining the preparations and safety measures during his concerts.
Vicki Calcagno, 43, claims that Springfield fell on her at the Aug. 28, 2004 Chevrolet Court concert, and left her with “serious, disabling and permanent injuries,” according to her 2007 lawsuit.
The lawsuit revolves around a part of Springfield’s act when he goes into the crowd during seven to eight minutes of his set. He hops on chairs and benches while fans touch him from all angles.
“It’s high-fiving and grabbing and hugging until I get back to the stage,” Springfield said in court. “Physical contact is very powerful and I love to engage the audience.”
But Calcagno’s lawyer, Kenneth Goldblatt, claimed that Springfield slipped and fell backwards and his buttocks struck Calcagno, leaving her with injuries.
With one leg on a chair and the other on a railing, Springfield fell backwards and hit Calcagno, sending her to the ground, Goldblatt told the jury.
Springfield said he had no recollections of the show outside the stormy weather, which had canceled a fair show earlier that day. Goldblatt suggested that the chairs were still wet when Springfield began his 8 p.m. show.
Photo to the left: 1980s pop icon Rick Springfield performing at the 2004 state fair, where a Liverpool woman claims he fell into the audience and injured her.
His lawyer, John Pfeifer, disputed that there were even chairs at the show, saying there were only benches.
The entertainer said he would have known if he’d struck a fan and left her unconscious or disoriented, as Calcagno claimed.
Calcagno did not realize how injured she was and continued taking photos of the concert, her lawyer said. She did not seek immediate medical help and rushed to catch the shuttle bus from the fair.
But two days later, a doctor documented her injuries. They included pain in her head and neck, muscle spasms, shoulder tightness, loss of sleep, shooting pain in left eye and right foot and sensitivity to bright light.
Her lawyer also said she suffered a concussion.
Springfield’s stage manager and Calcagno are still planned to testify. Both Springfield and Calcagno declined to comment through their lawyers.
Traumatic brain injury can have long lasting consequences for the victim in extensive medical bills and post treatment. To learn more about New York Traumatic Brain Injury, contact the New York brain injury lawyers at Goldblatt and Associates to schedule a free consultation. We serve accident victims in New York. We offer a free consultation, and receive no fee unless we are successful. Call 1-800-567-9888 today.