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Bret Michaels sues CBS and Tony Awards over 2009 stage injury

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Bret Michaels has filed a lawsuit against CBS and the Tony Awards in connection with his stage accident during the 2009 ceremony.

Michaels, best-known for his work with the rock group Poison, was hit in the head by an enormous piece of descending scenery and knocked to the ground right after he had finished performing a number during the telecast. Video of the incident quickly made its way around the Internet.

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The suit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, says producers never informed Michaels of the scenery or the hazards it presented. ‘Quite the opposite, Michaels specifically asked for instructions regarding how to exit after his performance and was just told to walk off the rear of the stage -- in what was ultimately the danger zone,’ the legal papers say.

Michaels subsequently suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a form of stroke that can lead to disability and death. Michaels recovered and has returned to work, although he had to cancel numerous dates, according to the suit. Attempts to reach a private settlement over the Tonys incident failed, the papers say, and Michaels is now seeking unspecified damages.

CBS declined to comment on the suit.

Here is video of the original incident:

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-- Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

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