'King Philippe' Thrown Off Horse, Sues Medieval Times

Even the king sometimes has his grievances.

Frank Kaszycki, a Deer Park man who was hired to play King Philippe at Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament Show in Schaumberg, is aiming his litigious lance at the company after the horse he was riding allegedly threw him, according to the Chicago Tribune.

His job was to ride a horse and speak in character during the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament Show, which features actors who play various medieval characters. Paying customers feast on a four-course meal while watching choreographed combat, jousting, horsemanship and other medieval activities.

The plaintiff claims he rode a horse without any prior equestrian experience, although he was trained by another cast member. During a performance on Jan. 28, 2009, without the trainer present, he said the horse reared and caused him to fall backward onto the ground. He claims the horse then fell on top of him.

His injuries were not detailed in the article, nor was his Illinois injury attorney interviewed for the piece. But if the horse indeed landed on top of the "king," he likely has a strong case.

Medieval Knights LLC, Medieval Times USA Inc., Chicago Title Land Trust Company and NISFI Inc. are named as defendants in the negligence case.

An article about the incident by the Chicago Sun-Times, republished on the web site of Chicago talk radio station WLS, provided a little more detail. According to a quoted portion of the complaint, Frank Kaszycki was asked to ride a horse without "any training relating to the use of horses." The article suggested that the cast member who trained him was not a professional trainer.

The six-count suit is seeking more than $300,000 in damages, in additional to legal fees, according to the latter news article.

If you believe you were encouraged by your employer or a contract client to do something unsafe and were injured as a result, you may want to contact a Chicago accident attorney.

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