Lawyers at L.A.’s Dreier Stein & Kahan don’t normally do personal injury lawsuits, but a very tall, very beautiful client changed their mind.
Lawyers said they were so moved by model Ganna Makeeva’s story that they took up her case.
“It’s just compelling how this accident wreaked havoc on her life,” said name partner Stanton “Larry” Stein.
That accident was a 2006 fall through a hole in the catwalk during the filming of a Super Bowl commercial for the Cadillac Escalade.
“The floor literally fell out beneath her,” said Dreier lawyer Jonathan Stern. “If only precautions had been taken to make sure the stage was safe, she’d be having an illustrious career.”
Last week, Makeeva and her lawyers filed a suit against ad agency Leo Burnett Detroit, alleging that it was negligent in blinding her with flashing lights as she strode down the runway. She suffers constant pain from a knee injury and other ailments, and requires multiple surgeries, according to Stein.
A friend of Makeeva advised her to contact Stein, and he accepted. He said he was drawn to Makeeva’s tale: “She’s a 6-foot tall beautiful woman who came here without her family from Russia. Her star was on the rise, when, all of a sudden, in one flash, her life changed.”
He’s hopeful the case could get other companies to take steps to protect models.
“In that industry, they’re so concerned with getting the shot, but they often skimp on the appropriate time to prepare the runway,” he said.
— Kellie Schmitt
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