Poker Player Physically Damaged by Money

Personally I’d be quite happy if any poker winnings were sizable enough to injure me. The only injury to me is usually suffered by my wallet who may, itself, be considering an actual bodily harm charge if my results don’t improve. On a more serious note, one poker player named Justyn Tyndaal, has taken legal action after being injured when a staff member of Rockingham Gaming LLC casino in the USA, removed a cash box from a gaming table Justyn was sitting at during a poker tournament and somehow the cash box fell onto Justyn’s left foot, causing, what he describes as, serious injuries as a result, including “disfigurement”.

Tyndaal has instructed his lawyers to take legal action and seek damages for injuries he alleges caused “severe pain” and he has “incurred substantial medical and hospital expenses, loss of earning capacity, “great pain and suffering,” and “emotional distress.” Tyndaal’s lawyers are hoping to secure a jury trial and, as they are facing legal action, the casino is understandably remaining tight-lipped. It is unknown if they will attempt to settle the case if they accept culpability.

The story has captured the interest of the poker world because of the irony of a player being injured by money in a casino where it is usually the casino seeking to damage the player in a less literal way by parting them from their money, whilst certainly offering the opportunity (albeit slightly odds against in almost every circumstances) of the player managing to win and obtaining a big win from the casino games.

The casino will be very unhappy if the player turns the tables on them and secures a large compensation payment as a result of his injuries, which from his lawsuit statement sound like they were quite serious. But if the claimant is due this compensation, then fair enough. A court will decide in due course if it gets that far.

This type of litigation against casinos is not unusual. In March 2016 it was reported by the West Virginia Record that a man was suing Wheeling Island Gaming due to a fall in 2014 where he suffered a multitude of injuries including rotator cuff tear, subacromial impingement of rotator cuff, weakness and instability in his left shoulder, left shoulder pain; limited range of motion; bruising, emotional upset; anxiety; and loss of sleep.

The USA’s medical system does make this sort of claim more likely as medical expenses can be very costly if someone gets injured and they are almost forced to try and recoup the significant costs. This is unlike the UK where the state-funded NHS means that there is no immediate bill presented to the patient for care services rendered.

No date has yet been set for a trial in the case of Justyn Tyndaal and if the casino chooses to settle out of court, there may yet be no further action taken.