David Copperfield forced to reveal trick's secret in court.

[alfaniner]

I'm not linking to the story as there is a risk of spoilers. I myself turned off the audio on the TV when it appeared that it was a long segment and they were going to give it away to the viewers. I saw reporters smirking at the end.

Apparently he was sued because an audience member was injured in the course of the performance.

 

[fuelair]

Enter David Copperfield had to reveal how trick was done. in Google and it will describe the basics. If you had no idea how, ................... The problem was the debris in the pathway makes it fairly obvious.

 

[Loss Leader]

For the record, it's not against the rules to explain a magic trick anymore.

It might be nice to put it in spoiler tags, though.

Posted By: Loss Leader

 

[SpitfireIX]

Considering that the audience members selected have to know how it's done, and DC "has performed the trick thousands of times," I'm not terribly clear on how this was such a big secret.

 

[Shepherd]

What layperson could have possibly imagined how the participants were rematerialized at the back of the theater? I am so envious of you magicians!

 

[applecorped]

What secret, did someone think it was actually Magic

 

[Jack by the hedge]

What he told the court was, of course, misdirection. Since the trick is actually achieved using real magic he could never have persuaded the court it's safe for the public. An error might turn the participants into newts or just about anything.

 

[3point14]

I haven't read about this at all, but 'we walked around the building' is hardly revelatory.

I presume that the audience members were spirited of thee stage in a way that looked impossible to the watching audience? Isn't that the trick? Not what happens afterwards?

 

[Whip]

bet he wishes he could make this case disappear. BOOM!

 

[bluesjnr]

I'm wondering how this British man managed to rack up medical bills of around £239,000 ($400,000)?

1) He was a tourist and therefore would have been insured.
2) He is British and as such on return home has access to NHS care which is free at source. The injury was incurred in 2013.
3) I know medical bills are scarily expensive in the US but he was only treated for a dislocated shoulder over there it seems. Surely that wouldn't have cost more than what he was insured for to the tune of nearly half a million dollars more?
4) He is a chef here in the UK. Not often a profession that can afford to be treated entirely privately.

What am I missing?

Oh and by the way, details of the trick in question and court case

Here

 

[3point14]

I'm wondering how this British man managed to rack up medical bills of around £239,000 ($400,000)?

1) He was a tourist and therefore would have been insured.

What makes you think this? There's no visa requirement for travel insurance when entering the US, as far as I'm aware. Lots of people travel to the US, uninsured, every year. We call these people idiots.

2) He is British and as such on return home has access to NHS care which is free at source. The injury was incurred in 2013.

I'm not aware of the exact nature of his injury. It may be that it prevented him from flying. - Just checked. Dislocated shoulder. Can't see why he shouldn't have flown home. Of course, if this isn't his fault and he wasn't due to return to the UK for some time, he shouldn't have been forced to curtail his trip and he'd be treated at the unbelievably inflated US prices.

3) I know medical bills are scarily expensive in the US but he was only treated for a dislocated shoulder over there it seems. Surely that wouldn't have cost more than what he was insured for to the tune of nearly half a million dollars more?

He claims ongoing pain and brain injury. Or possibly 'brain injury'. I suspect he's just heard the term 'punitive damages' and got all carried away.

4) He is a chef here in the UK. Not often a profession that can afford to be treated entirely privately.

Depends on the chef. And the private care. And he may have private health insurance with his job, lots of people do.

What am I missing?

Not a lot.

Oh and by the way, details of the trick in question and court case

Here

Thanks

 

[Giordano]

[snipp]
Oh and by the way, details of the trick in question and court case

Here

Damn! I had to go and click on it! That really just ruined the trick for me, and I'll never be able to see magic with the same sense of ... magic?.. um... wonder as I did before!

More seriously don't the audience participants tell their friends how the trick works? At least the parts they see of it. Over time doesn't this information get spread around?

 

[Dr. Keith]

In the US an injured plaintiff can sue for medical costs covered by insurance. The insurance company would typically have a lien on amounts awarded. Sometimes the insurance company is effectively a co-plaintiff in the suit.

American exceptionalism!

 

[3point14]

In the US an injured plaintiff can sue for medical costs covered by insurance. The insurance company would typically have a lien on amounts awarded. Sometimes the insurance company is effectively a co-plaintiff in the suit.

American exceptionalism!

That's pretty universal, as far as I'm aware. Any insurance company suffering a large loss due, possibly, to the negligence of a third party will be looking to recover all of their costs. If the possibly negligent party happens to be dripping with cash, then all the better.

 

[Dr. Keith]

That's pretty universal, as far as I'm aware. Any insurance company suffering a large loss due, possibly, to the negligence of a third party will be looking to recover all of their costs. If the possibly negligent party happens to be dripping with cash, then all the better.

Sure, but if this had happened in London and the person treated by the NHS would the NHS be suing the building and entertainer to recover medical expenses?

(Not a rhetorical question, I really don't know.)

 

[bluesjnr]

What makes you think this? There's no visa requirement for travel insurance when entering the US, as far as I'm aware. Lots of people travel to the US, uninsured, every year. We call these people idiots.

Indeed, but travel insurance is hard wired in the UK psyche and it is highly unusual that Brits travel without it but not impossible.

I'm not aware of the exact nature of his injury. It may be that it prevented him from flying. - Just checked. Dislocated shoulder. Can't see why he shouldn't have flown home. Of course, if this isn't his fault and he wasn't due to return to the UK for some time, he shouldn't have been forced to curtail his trip and he'd be treated at the unbelievably inflated US prices.

A dislocation is an uncomplicated injury treated by reset and immobilisation. No other injury has been mentioned that would have prevented him flying home after his holiday and recieving free NHS care. It doesn't add up to me. Something is missing.

He claims ongoing pain and brain injury. Or possibly 'brain injury'. I suspect he's just heard the term 'punitive damages' and got all carried away.

He's claiming over quarter of a million pounds in medical fees! Surely he'll have to have provided invoices.

Depends on the chef. And the private care. And he may have private health insurance with his job, lots of people do.

Again, you're right, it does depend on the chef, my money is on him being a run of mill chef on the national average of £25k. Why would he need to pay for private care to reset and strap up a dislocation and rest it for around 12 weeks? If he did have private insurance then he would have been covered up to a maximum amount which surely would cover that treatment even in the US.

It's a hell of a risk to go balls out private in the hope that he might successfully sue at some point in the future.

Still, I have to assume that he can evidence his loss here.

 

[bluesjnr]

In the US an injured plaintiff can sue for medical costs covered by insurance. The insurance company would typically have a lien on amounts awarded. Sometimes the insurance company is effectively a co-plaintiff in the suit.

American exceptionalism!

Wouldn't the policy be written under British law?

 

[bluesjnr]

Sure, but if this had happened in London and the person treated by the NHS would the NHS be suing the building and entertainer to recover medical expenses?

(Not a rhetorical question, I really don't know.)

I don't know for sure but since I've never heard of the NHS suing in this particular way I'd say, no, they wouldn't.

 

[mgidm86]

Damn! I had to go and click on it! That really just ruined the trick for me, and I'll never be able to see magic with the same sense of ... magic?.. um... wonder as I did before!

More seriously don't the audience participants tell their friends how the trick works? At least the parts they see of it. Over time doesn't this information get spread around?

I wouldn't say the article revealed the secret. I mean it's pretty obvious that...

The people must have walked or rode to the back of the theater in some manner.

I didn't see it revealing how he made them disappear, although I'm not at all familiar with the trick.

I tried finding a video of him performing the trick but all I saw were the "reveal" videos which I did not watch.