Scared Man Who Sued Over ‘Haunted House’ Loses in Court

SF Gate ^ | November 25, 2015 | Bob Egelko

[DogByte6RER]

Scared man who sued over 'haunted house' loses in court

People who go to "haunted house" attractions to be scared shouldn't be surprised when they're scared, a state court of appeals has ruled.

A state appeals court has given precedent-setting status to a ruling that gave the scary mansions the same legal status as ski lodges, bumper cars and other commercial recreational facilities: They're not responsible for injuries caused by an "inherent risk" of the activity.

In this case, the court said, that risk was the terror Scott Griffin experienced after leaving what he thought was the exit gate of the Haunted Trail, an outdoor haunted house at Balboa Park in San Diego, one evening shortly before Halloween in 2011. As he walked away, laughing with a group of friends, he said, a man turned on a gas-powered chainsaw and pointed it at him.

Griffin said he backed away, asked the man to stop, then started running, with the saw-wielder in pursuit. Griffin fell and injured his wrist.

In a lawsuit against the trail's owner, Haunted Hotel Inc., Griffin argued that the company should not have trained its actors to chase visitors beyond the marked exit. He said he had feared he was in danger - real fear, he argued, as opposed to the "fun fear" he felt inside the gate.

Haunted Hotel said the fake exit was part of the trail, and the man with the saw - which had no chain - was the park's "Carrie effect." It's a reference to the last scene in the movie "Carrie," and many other horror flicks, in which the audience is given one final scare after being led to believe their horror is over.

[a fool in paradise]

A state appeals court has given precedent-setting status to a ruling that gave the scary mansions the same legal status as ski lodges, bumper cars and other commercial recreational facilities: They're not responsible for injuries caused by an "inherent risk" of the activity.

There should be required insurance policy coverage for such risks.

[MeshugeMikey]

I get the sense that were approaching the Outer Limits of Loonyness!!

[Smokin' Joe]

A case by the injured party against the coffee seller is frivolous, and cannot to any extent be blamed on them, so should be dismissed outright.

I agree with you, but IIRC, in the McDonald's case, the award was only reduced by the appellate court. The judgement was not overturned.

[Smokin' Joe]

Griffin said he backed away, asked the man to stop, then started running, with the saw-wielder in pursuit. Griffin fell and injured his wrist.

Unless he's suing over a trip hazard (you know, like the busty bad actress in the horror movies) I can't see where he gets off saying the Haunted House crew injured him.

He ran, he fell down, he hurt his wrist.

[Smokin' Joe]

Since the movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 1974.

While the shower scene in Psycho was the big slasher film for many of us (in a gentler time), this and Night of the Living Dead (1968) were two landmark horror flicks which spawned entire franchises and numerous sequels, imitations, or spin-offs which took film from the mind bending horror or creature feature to the splatter flick.