12 December 2007
Bon Jovi Guitarist Regrets Fan's Injury During Concert

EDMONTON - Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora said he's shocked and "really, really sorry" to hear a fan was severely injured at the group's July 12 show at Edmonton's Rexall Place.

Dennis Schulz suffered a dislocated spinal cord when a man fell on him after being pushed during a fight two rows away. He was left a quadriplegic.

Last month, Schulz and his common-law spouse, Hailey Brinn Hartman, filed a $13.5-million lawsuit against several defendants -- but not the members of Bon Jovi.

Sambora didn't know about the incident until a reporter told him on Dec. 6.

"Our concerts have been notoriously safe throughout the years and our record is very, very good, so this is news to me," he told CanWest News Service in an interview.

When asked if he'd like to say anything to Schulz, Sambora expressed sympathy and reiterated Bon Jovi's safety record. "Oh God, we're really, really sorry," he said.

"Obviously, our record fortunately in our career has been that we've gone without incident like that, so that's a real shocker to me. Oh, man, I'm really, really sorry about that."

Schulz and Hartman are suing four fans involved in the fight and the promoters of the show. Panhandle Productions is named for allegedly providing inadequate lighting and security. Northlands Park, which runs the venue, also is named in the suit.

A statement of claim contains allegations that have not been proven in court.

Schulz could not be reached to comment. His friend Bernd Gretzinger said Schulz can barely move. "He truly is a complete quad with just a little movement is his right elbow area," Gretzinger wrote in an e-mail. "He can't even cough or sneeze . . ."

Source: Canadian News