A woman is suing a Strip casino and its longtime performer after a prop hit her in the back of the head during a show, causing damage to her eye.
Illinois resident Joanne Julkowski is suing Harrah’s, Donny Osmond and his production company, Donny Osmond Concerts Inc., after a show prop hit her in the back of the head, causing a retinal detachment, according to the lawsuit filed Feb. 10 in Clark County District Court. She is suing on two counts of negligence and negligent hiring, training, retention and supervision.
Caesars Entertainment, Harrah’s owner, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Trial details
Julkowski attended a Donny Osmond performance at Harrah’s on Feb. 15, 2024, according to the lawsuit. During the performance, Julkowski was “struck in the back of the head by one of the lighted balls that had been thrown or driven into the crowd.”
During the performance, “illuminated balls are thrown or propelled through the audience” and, according to the lawsuit, “can cause injury to concertgoers upon forceful impacts.”
According to the lawsuit, the venue was dimly lit for that portion of the performance “thereby reducing patron visibility and limiting their ability to perceive, track and avoid the oversized, lighted balls moving through the audience.”
Due to the impact, Julkowski “experienced severe injuries” including a retinal tear in her right eye that led to retinal detachment, the lawsuit alleges. She required surgery and suffered vision loss, as well as head and neck injuries, the lawsuit alleges.
Julkowski is seeking damages in excess of $15,000 for past and future medical expenses and for past and future pain and suffering; punitive damages; lost wages and loss of earning capacity; all pre- and post-judgment interests permitted by law; reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs; and for such other and further relief as the court finds just and proper.
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