Actor Gary Coleman, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson on the sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes,” has reportedly settled a personal injury lawsuit that was filed against him by a disgruntled fan.
Colt Rushton filed the injury lawsuit against the actor after a September 2008 incident at a bowling alley in Utah. The lawsuit claims that Coleman was bowling with his wife and his bodyguard when Rushton photographed Coleman using a cell phone camera. Rushton took a few more photos in the parking lot before Coleman’s wife Shannon Price grabbed the cell phone. Court documents allege that while Rushton and Price argued, Coleman hit Rushton with his truck as he was backing up.
Rushton’s attorney Dustin Lance said that his client sustained knee injuries that required treatment by an orthopedic surgeon, but he did not say if Rushton underwent surgery.
In 2008, Lance told the Associated Press, “He’s not on crutches, but there is quite a bit of pain.”
Lance said that the personal injury case was settled within the past month. He did not reveal the terms of the settlement.
Coleman pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving in October 2008. A month later Coleman entered a plea of no contest.
“It was kind of a compromise,” said Coleman’s attorney Randy Kester. “It’s the kind of case we could have probably taken to a jury trial, but it would’ve taken two days and wasted a lot of state resources and a lot of our resources. We constructed it ourselves and just tried to come up with a way to resolve the city’s concerns and at the same time protect Mr. Coleman.”
Coleman was also cited for disorderly conduct in Utah in 2008 after an argument with his wife.
Most recently, Coleman was arrested and booked for failing to appear in court. Coleman, now 41, was booked into a Utah County Jail yesterday. Details of the warrant have not been released, but according to the Salt Lake Tribune, jail records show that Coleman was arrested after police responded to reports of a domestic disturbance at his home.
According to police, they found that no crime had been committed, but they picked up Coleman because of a warrant stemming from a previous incident. One jailer told TMC that Coleman had been arrested for a domestic violence incident in 2009 but never showed up for court. As of this morning, Coleman was still in custody. Hopefully Coleman will learn that not even celebrities can break the law or injure others and get away with it.
Atlanta happens to be a hot spot for celebrities. Unfortunately, celebrities are not always nice, and sometimes they can injure others, especially when they feel that they are above the law. If you have been seriously injured by the negligent actions of an Atlanta celebrity or non-celebrity, contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Call MLN Law at 404-531-9700 to schedule a free consultation.