Seminole Hard Rock Casino employee drops box on poker player’s head, gets sued

in The Bay and the 'Burg by

In gambling, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. One Seminole Hard Rock Casino poker player is hoping to cash in on her different sort of loss last October.

In a lawsuit filed in Hillsborough County court in May, Diana Bellerose claims she was struck in the head by a poker-chip drop box when one employee passed the box to another.

Bellerose claims she suffered “severe injury,” as well as disfigurement, disability, hospitalization and lost earnings. She’s now seeking unknown relief.

What’s unknown in this case is whether Bellerose already went home with some booty following her poker catastrophe.

It’s also not clear how a bump on the head causes disfigurement – unless this is a cartoon in which a giant bump emerges from the head and some unknown antagonist then throws a horseshoe at it.

Janelle Irwin has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in the Tampa Bay area since 2003. She also hosts a weekly political talk show on WMNF Community radio. Janelle formerly served as the sole staff reporter for WMNF News and previously covered news for Patch.com and various local neighborhood newsletters. Her work has been featured in the New York Daily News, Free Speech Radio News and Florida Public Radio and she's been interviewed by radio stations across the nation for her coverage of the 2012 Republican National Convention. Janelle is a diehard news junkie who isn't afraid to take on big names in local politics including Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, the dirty business of trash and recycling in St. Pete and the ongoing Pier debacle. Her work as a reporter and radio host has earned her two WMNF awards including News Volunteer of the Year and Public Affairs Volunteer of the Year. Janelle is also the devoted mother to three brilliant and beautiful daughters who are a constant source of inspiration and occasional blogging fodder. To contact, email [email protected]