Woman Thrown In Pool Sues Mascot Over Back and Neck Injuries

Philadelphia, PAA bizarre incident at a wedding ceremony in Jersey Shore has resulted in a back and neck injury lawsuit filed by a plaintiff who claims she was thrown into a pool by the mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball club in 2010.

According to various reports, including Reuters and The Philadelphia Inquirer (6/13/12), the plaintiff was an attendee at wedding festivities that included an appearance by 'Phillie Phanatic', the famed mascot associated with the baseball club. Plaintiff Suzanne M. Peirce of Abington, PA was sitting in a lounge chair at the Golden Inn Hotel & Resort in Avalon when the mascot suddenly approached the chair on which Peirce was sitting, picked it up and threw both into the pool.

Peirce alleges she suffered several serious and permanent neck and back injuries as the result of the incident. The Inquirer referenced a report in the Atlantic City Press that according to Peirce's neck injury lawyer, his client was sitting close to the shallow end of the pool and hit bottom as a result of the incident.

Her back injury compensation claim notes that Peirce suffered "severe and permanent injuries to her head, neck, back, arms and legs, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and tissues of her head, neck, back, arms and legs, including, but not limited to, a herniated L5-S1 disc, aggravation and/or exacerbation of all known and unknown preexisting medical conditions, internal injuries of an unknown nature, severe aches, pains, mental anxiety and anguish, and a severe shock to her entire nervous system and other injuries, the full extent of which is not yet known."

The Phanatic is the popular furry, green mascot associated with the Phillies and is often freelanced out to special events and social gatherings. Two individuals are identified as portraying Phillie Phanatic, and both Tom Burgoyne and Matt Mehler were named as defendants in the back injury lawsuit. It is not known which of the defendants might have been wearing the mascot suit that day.

Also named were owners of the hotel where the incident took place, and the Philadelphia Phillies baseball club.

Peirce's back injury attorney notes his client has been relegated to walking with a cane since the unprovoked incident occurred. The Phillies would not comment on the lawsuit. However spokesperson Bonnie Clark told Atlantic City Press "we do not believe the Phanatic engaged in any wrongful conduct."

The back and neck injury lawsuit was filed at Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia on June 11th.