A self-described “pinball wizard” has filed a total of 11 complaints against the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas stemming from a single incident at the pinball arcade there.
The plaintiff says the machine on which he was playing Xenon malfunctioned. A scuffle with the owner ensued, and the police were summoned. The “pinball wizard” was charged with trespassing and ejected from the arcade.
He’s now suing for, among other things, assault, breach of contract, and discrimination. He wants at least $10,000 or as much money as a court will give him. He also wants money for therapy because the ejection prevented him from reliving his happy childhood memories of playing Xenon.
The plaintiff has filed so many lawsuits in California he is designated a “vexatious litigant” there, which means he can’t file any lawsuits without court permission. On the same day he sued the Las Vegas arcade, he filed three other lawsuits in Nevada.
He makes money from the lawsuits he files, but says he is not vexatious. “I don’t file frivolous lawsuits. I’ve just had a bad experience of the whole world trying to screw me. I have had a lot of horrible things happen,” he said.
The arcade operator, a nonprofit, already has spent $13,000 in legal fees. The case is just beginning.
Source: Kristen Peterson, “A bizarre lawsuit has the Pinball Hall of Fame playing defense,” Las Vegas Weekly, June 30, 2011