Burning Man fire victim's suit goes up in smoke

[Liberal_in_LA]

Burning Man fire victim's suit goes up in smoke
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, September 18, 2009


(09-17) 12:43 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The state Supreme Court has refused to reinstate a lawsuit by a man who approached the flames at the Burning Man festival and got burned.:eyes: :eyes:

The justices voted unanimously Wednesday to deny review of an appeal by Anthony Beninati, who sought damages from the promoter of the annual celebration in the Nevada desert.

Beninati, a real estate manager from Los Angeles, was badly burned at the September 2005 event in Black Rock City, Nev. He was making his third visit to the weeklong festival, which ends with the torching of a 60-foot wood sculpture.

Once the Burning Man topples, some participants throw objects into the bonfire. Beninati approached with the photo of a friend who had recently died in a motorcycle accident.

He walked 7 to 10 feet into the burning embers, with flames on either side of him, threw in the photo, took a few more steps forward, then tripped - over a hidden obstacle, he said - and fell into the fire.

He was badly burned on his hands and legs and was airlifted to a hospital.

Beninati's suit accused Black Rock City LLC, the San Francisco-based promoter, of negligently allowing people to approach the fire without safe pathways

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In a June 30 ruling, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco said anyone who takes part in an event with obvious dangers - downhill skiing, mountain climbing or walking up to a bonfire - knowingly risks injury.

actually he walked INTO the bonfire

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/17/BAHN19OMPU.DTL#ixzz0RUQrbpLb

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. The defense case being, of course,

"He walked into the fucking fire! How stupid can you be?"

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. But said using high falutin legal language

[NOW tense]

3. When you play with fire, you may get burned. n/t

[Barack_America]

4. Drugs and fire. Not always the best combination.

[Posteritatis]

5. Darwin says otherwise! (nt)

[unpossibles]

6. true, although as someone who's been a few times

it's not as irresponsibly full of druggies as the stereotype suggests. Not that they are not there, but I do know some straight-edge people who go. Also, I would bet that more accidents are caused by stupidity and the legal drug (alcohol) than ever happen at burning man.

[Barack_America]

9. Oh for sure. I didn't mean to generalize.

But when a guy walks into a fire, I start to wonder.

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with taking drugs either, just stay away from the giant open flame, ya know?

[unpossibles]

18. agreed!

:)

[Ron Green]

7. "Become the Burning Man..."

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. it's weirder the more I read it. He walked 7-10 feet into the fire, tossed in pic, then continued

forward. What the heck? Suicide attempt for fire? Where ya going? Out the otherside?

[rrneck]

10. Damn dude, wrap the picture around a fucking rock and throw it in. nt

[chaplainM]

11. Speaking of negligence

I read the OP's title as meaning that someone's fire-resistant suit had failed. Need more coffee.

[Ikonoklast]

12. It was a nice wool gabardine, too.

Not very flame resistant, however.

[chaplainM]

16. Eddie, are you kidding?

I'm coming over shortly
Because I am a portly
You promissed you could fit me in a $50 fireproof suit.

[DCKit]

13. Fire HOT!!!!

Do the Darwin Awards have an "almost ran" category?

[Ikonoklast]

14. Aaaarrrggh!

[Barack_America]

19. Depending on the damage that may have been done to certain areas...

He may fully qualify.

People don't have to die to get a DA, just remove themselves from the gene pool.

[Initech]

15. Someone took the concept of "Burning Man" way too literally.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

17. Borrow some bunker gear next time.

[ddeclue]

20. Fire is HOT..Where's Captain Obvious when you need him?

:rofl:

[Selatius]

21. The guy is a moron. He is even worse for tying up court resources. nt

[comrade snarky]

22. I'd like to cite the precedent of "Fire is Hot"

And the groundbreaking case of Dumb-ass V Life.