So What Really Did Happen to Harry Reid (Cont’d)?

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is suing the maker of the exercise band that he said caused the injury that has left him blind in his right eye on January 1.

According to the document, Reid suffered “loss of vision in his right eye, a concussion, broken orbital bones, severe disfigurement and bruising to his face, hand injuries, facial lacerations, scarring, and broken ribs”. The sight of Reid’s bandaged and badly bruised face sparked a great deal of speculation about its cause, including rumors of a fight with his brother, an encounter with boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr., a motorcycle accident, a bull-riding mishap, and others. Reid says the TheraBand is a single piece of elastic material, similar to a giant rubber band, which enables him to exercise in a limited space without using bulky weights and other exercise equipment. The lawsuit claims those companies knew the band could potentially injure users, especially the elderly, even when securely mounted and didn’t do enough to warn consumers.

An appropriate warning would have prompted Reid “to take precautions to avoid his injuries”, according to the complaint.

The complaint, first reported by the Las Vegas Law Blog, alleges that Reid, 75, suffered damages exceeding $50,000 and that the companies were responsible for manufacturing a “defective” product. He’s also seeking punitive damages against the company, but did not specify how much.

However, the Nevada Democrat said in a taped announcement, the accident caused him and his wife “to have a little down time”.

“We’ve got to be more concerned about the country, the Senate, the state of Nevada than about ourselves”.