Chris Brown. AP
WASHINGTON – A man who says he was punched in the face by singer Chris Brown and his bodyguard during an altercation outside a Washington hotel is suing for $3 million.
The civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Superior Court in Washington seeks $1.5 million from each man. The lawsuit filed by lawyers for Parker Isaac Adams says that Adams’ nose was fractured and he had other injuries to his head and face as a result of being punched.
Adams said in a telephone interview Thursday that he is seeking to recover money for his medical bills which include visits to a plastic surgeon and a breathing specialist. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of $1 million and punitive damages of $500,000 from each man. A lawyer for Adams, John C. Hayes Jr., said his client is largely seeking money for “pain and suffering” though he is continuing to receive medical care for his injuries.
Brown and his bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, were arrested in October after Adams said both punched him in the face outside the W Hotel. The lawsuit says Adams, 20, tried to get in a picture that Brown was taking with two of Adams’ friends, and the singer and then Hollosy punched him.
Lawyers for Brown and Hollosy declined to comment Thursday on the civil lawsuit.
At the time Brown was arrested, the Grammy winner was on probation in California for a 2009 attack on singer Rihanna, his then-girlfriend. Both Brown and Hollosy are charged criminally in Washington with misdemeanor assault, and the result of the case could affect Brown’s case in California.
During a hearing Thursday, lawyers picked April 17 as the start date for the trial for the two men. Lawyers said they expect the trial will last two or three days. Neither man was present for the hearing.