Punched in ear by bouncer, now partially deaf: WWMD?

[Dr. Send]

Should I go to the doctor? Will my hearing come back? Should I sue?
I can still hear a little bit out of that ear, but it sounds all muted, like my ear canal is full of water or something.
In my defense, I was simply trying to get my bag out of the coat check after I had lost my ticket, and the guy was not being helpful.

[Mr.Scruff]

Is it too late to punch him back?

[DerJaeger]

Yes, you need to go see a doctor ASAP. Find out what is wrong and then get legal advice (there's at least one Canadian lawyer mag on here, so maybe someone will chime in on that one). If there is any permanent damage to your hearing, this is a very serious matter. At very minimum, it sounds like the bouncer handled the situation negligently.

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

Sue him. It's the American way.

Unfortunately you're in Canada though.

[leroy jenkins]

Bouncers are never supposed to just hit someone. They are supposed to restrain people, and then throw you out. Especially if you are a good deal smaller than the guy (which I'm guessing you are) he should have no reason to hit you. At least, thats the way it works in fairy tail land, in real life, they seem to just hit whoever they think "deserves" it.

[pappag]

I once worked at a bar with another bouncer that was training for the UCF. At the time I stopped working there, he had 3 lawsuits pending against him. Ownership already paid for his defense in at least 5 other suits but decided to stop on the remaining 3 (this all after he throw a guy through a window).

Yes, I know that doesn't help your cause. See a doctor. Seek legal advice and be fully truthful because it will only hurt you more if you decide to "forget" a few of the facts surrounding the incident.

[L7]

Can't see it being a matter of suing the guy here in Canada but you could try. You should see a doc and you should go to the police and make a complaint. That would be the first step in a lawsuit anyways, just let the police prove what occured and potentially a judge will order the guy to pay any out of pocket, Doctor, prescriptions, loss of work... At the very least it doesn't sound like the guy has any business being a bouncer and as others have said there is a big difference between removing you, restraining you and an unprovoked assault. An assault conviction should end his bouncing career at least at any decent place. (May enhance his career at a shithole).

BTW you can rupture an eardrum and it can heal and hearing can come back after a bit. Still worth seeing the doc and all the more reason to cut short fuck nuts bouncing career.

Vinman gave you the poop while I edited in that last comment..... You should listen to him, at least with the good ear.

[Vinman]

asode from the lawsuit thing,

go to the doc. you prolly have at least a perforated ear drum or possibly ruptured.

Worry about the lawsuit down the road if things don't improve but get your hearing checked ASAP.

[MeatPuppet]

Should I go to the doctor?

Yes.

In my defense, I was simply trying to get my bag out of the coat check after I had lost my ticket, and the guy was not being helpful.

Uhhh, right. How much had you had to drink? Were you yelling at anyone? Had you had any confrontations with any bouncers/staff/patrons of the bar earlier in the night? Did you try to physically take your bag without the clerk giving it to you? Did you try to walk behind the counter to get to your bag? Did you try to reach or crawl over the counter to get your bag? Did you make contact with(physically touch) any of the bouncers or the staff before the bouncer hit you? Did you verbally threaten any of the bouncers or the staff before the bouncer hit you? Did you pound your fist on the counter? Did you punch or kick a wall?

If you did any of these things you are probably SOL trying to get any restitution from the bouncer/bar.

In the future, when you talk about this: If you want to sound like a whiny little bitch who got his ass beat for being stupid, keep talking about what you were "simply trying to do". If you want people to take you seriously, and possibly believe you, stick to what actually happened(ie "I was standing there calmly talking to the clerk and the bouncer blindsided me and now I can't hear out of my ear...").

I'll second what snoogens said, include everything, even if you weren't completely in the right.

If you don't believe that the simply facts support your case, nobody else will either.

Good luck.

[Tahoepa]

I would definitely recommend getting your ear looked at. I am a PA at a local ER and that sort of trauma can lead to a perforated eardrum or possibly damage to the middle ear. Also trauma to the external ear itself can lead to problems. Is your ear inflammed, ie resembling a piece of cauliflower? Are you having drainage? Without a doubt get in to a doc or PA to get it looked at. Best of luck.

[EPSkis]

I've always found it to be prudent to NOT put yourself in a position to be punched in the ear by a bouncer.

[Tippster]

No matter what a bouncer isn't allowed to strike you. He can grab you and throw you out, but hitting you is assault & battery - even in Canadeh.

See a Doctor, then line up some witnesses, then talk to a lawyer.

Oh, but next time don't be an asshole.

[MeatPuppet]

No matter what a bouncer isn't allowed to strike you. He can grab you and throw you out, but hitting you is assault & battery - even in Canadeh.

I'm sure it varies from place to place, but when I worked security(read: bouncer) there were no such restrictions, as long as the other guy showed aggression first.

I never had any lawsuits filed against me, but several of the people I worked with did. As soon as it was established that the patron swung on the bouncer first(sometimes even a violent shove was enough), the lawsuit just evaporated.


Edit: Dr Send, I obviously don't have any knowledge of your situation beyond what you have posted here. But if you showed any aggression at all toward anyone, it may be very hard for you to find a legal leg to stand on.

If you feel that the bouncer was in the wrong, talk to a lawyer soon. If the incident took place near an exit or a cash register there might be security cam footage of the whole thing. Security footage is purged periodically. Some places keep it for 24-48 hours if they review the night and don't think there is anything they need to hang on too. In which case it may be too late already. Other places keep it for up to a month. So if you think having the incident on tape helps your cause, consider moving on it soon.

[truth]

I would just got to punchedintheear.com and post about it some more.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Uhhh, right. How much had you had to drink? Were you yelling at anyone? Had you had any confrontations with any bouncers/staff/patrons of the bar earlier in the night? Did you try to physically take your bag without the clerk giving it to you? Did you try to walk behind the counter to get to your bag? Did you try to reach or crawl over the counter to get your bag? Did you make contact with(physically touch) any of the bouncers or the staff before the bouncer hit you? Did you verbally threaten any of the bouncers or the staff before the bouncer hit you? Did you pound your fist on the counter? Did you punch or kick a wall?

If you did any of these things you are probably SOL trying to get any restitution from the bouncer/bar.

In the future, when you talk about this: If you want to sound like a whiny little bitch who got his ass beat for being stupid, keep talking about what you were "simply trying to do". If you want people to take you seriously, and possibly believe you, stick to what actually happened(ie "I was standing there calmly talking to the clerk and the bouncer blindsided me and now I can't hear out of my ear...").

I'll second what snoogens said, include everything, even if you weren't completely in the right.

If you don't believe that the simply facts support your case, nobody else will either.

Good luck.

And did you say please and thank you to fuckwad after he assaulted you? if you didn't, he's totally clear to do whatever the fuck he wants to you.
What a bunch of stupid questions.

Hells yes you should sue the fucker, at the least make sure he pays for your treatment and loses his job. Too many fuckwits pretending to be 'security' out there.

[Dr. Send]

Thanks for all the replies.

Yes.





Uhhh, right. How much had you had to drink? Were you yelling at anyone? Had you had any confrontations with any bouncers/staff/patrons of the bar earlier in the night? Did you try to physically take your bag without the clerk giving it to you? Did you try to walk behind the counter to get to your bag? Did you try to reach or crawl over the counter to get your bag? Did you make contact with(physically touch) any of the bouncers or the staff before the bouncer hit you? Did you verbally threaten any of the bouncers or the staff before the bouncer hit you? Did you pound your fist on the counter? Did you punch or kick a wall?

If you did any of these things you are probably SOL trying to get any restitution from the bouncer/bar.

In the future, when you talk about this: If you want to sound like a whiny little bitch who got his ass beat for being stupid, keep talking about what you were "simply trying to do". If you want people to take you seriously, and possibly believe you, stick to what actually happened(ie "I was standing there calmly talking to the clerk and the bouncer blindsided me and now I can't hear out of my ear...").

I'll second what snoogens said, include everything, even if you weren't completely in the right.

If you don't believe that the simply facts support your case, nobody else will either.

Good luck.

I wasn't actually inside the pub at the time, and although I was pretty drunk (obviously), I'm 100% sure that I didn't swing at him before he grabbed me considering that I've never swung at anyone in my life (and I'm not stupid enough to swing at a bouncer who has 150 pounds, a buddy, and sobriety on his side).
As far as I can remember, I ended up outside at some point, realized that I didn't have my bag and went back to talk to the bouncers to see if I could get it. When I couldn't produce my ticket for the coat check, they told me to come back the next day to pick it up. I wasn't so into that, considering that I was freezing my ass off in a t-shirt and I didn't have enough cash for a cab ride, so I argued with them for a while, and I don't remember exactly what anyone said until the guy grabbed me by the neck and said something along the lines of "stay the fuck away from my bar" as he dragged me into the street and punched me in the ear. I got up and kind of shook it off, and I ended up talking to this bum who was hanging around the area, and he said he could help me get my jacket back, so we walked around the block and eventually ran into a cop that was chilling beside his car for whatever reason; I told the cop what was going on, and he was pretty much like, meh, there's nothing I can do. I didn't tell the cop about getting punched because it didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time (I just wanted my coat). So the three of us walked back to the door of the pub, and I think it was the bum who chatted with one of the bouncers (not the one who punched me), who then asked me to describe my bag. I did, and he went in and got it, I thanked the bum and the cop and walked away.
The only reason I think I might have deserved it would be if (a) I was kicked out in the first place, which I don't think is the case because none of the bouncers mentioned it when I was arguing with them, and one of the girls we were with chatted with me outside the pub and I don't remember her mentioning it, or (b) if I pushed or touched the bouncer while we were arguing. I think it's weird that they went 180 degrees and got my bag with no questions when the bum and the cop were there.
Either way, I'll go to the doc tomorrow and see what he says, hopefully it'll heal.

[hhski]

perforated TM eardrum as the other poster mentioned. Get it checked out you may need surgery

[MeatPuppet]

and although I was pretty drunk (obviously),

I was prepared to tell you you were shit outa luck until I read...

the guy grabbed me by the neck and said something along the lines of "stay the fuck away from my bar" as he dragged me into the street and punched me in the ear.

If you were outside of the establishment the tide turns in your favor. Absent any physical provocation from you, that is assault and battery, plain and simple. The challenge you are going to face is showing that there was indeed no physical provocation from you. You are going to need witnesses for that.
Also, the bouncer who didn't hit you will have the same story as the one who did, regardless of wether or not it is true. So be ready for that.

If everything unfolded exactly as you say it did(and I have no reason to doubt it did, I just wasn't there and you were drunk) then you might have a good case for at least getting your medical bills covered, if not more(but since you are in Canada you might not have any medical bills???). Depending on how bad your ear is damaged, it might be cheaper for them to cover your medical bills then for them to fight it in court. So I would definitely talk to a lawyer tomorrow...after you see a doctor.

If it were me, and the doctor said that my ear would heal in a day or two without any permanent damage, I would let it go and try not to get so drunk again in public without a buddy to look out for me. But if the doctor said that there might be complications or permanent damage I would talk to a lawyer ASAP.

The only reason I think I might have deserved it would be if (a) I was kicked out in the first place, which I don't think is the case because none of the bouncers mentioned it when I was arguing with them, and one of the girls we were with chatted with me outside the pub and I don't remember her mentioning it,

Even if you were thrown out, that by itself isn't enough of a reason for him to hit you. Once you go through the front door, his job is done. The only way he would be justified in striking you would be if he felt threatened.

I think it's weird that they went 180 degrees and got my bag with no questions when the bum and the cop were there.

Not strange at all. When you were by yourself, you were just another drunk that they could push around. When the cop was there they had to act a little more reasonable. There are a lot of meatheads working as bouncers, sounds like you ran into a couple of them.

Keep in mind, everything I have told you comes from the perspective of this situation happening in the US. I have no idea how these things work in Canada. A lawyer would be helpful there.

Good luck!

[13]

Send, see a Dr. I don't know why you haven't already. At best, it could just be some fluid completely unrelated to the punch, it could be a ruptured tympanic membrane (AKA eardrum), and at worst, it could be a partially severed auditory nerve, which would definitely be BAD news.

Hey MeatPuppet, I don't recall Dr. Send asking for opinions on the incident, just what we think he should do following the incident. Seems like you took the opportunity to get on your soapbox and show off your expertise -- it's kind of a pattern with you, homes. What's up with that?

[phUnk]

ProTip: If you have to ask the Internet if you should go see a doctor, the answer is going to be YES.

[snow_slider]

As an internet doctor, I say don't come and see me. I'll just punch you in the other ear.

[Tippster]

Better in the ear than in the neck.

13: he did ask if he should sue. Meatwad's initial answer was directed at my response to that, and I must say it was rather eye-opening. I do think that the burden of proof re: provocation lies with the bouncers, not the victim... even in Canada.

That said, since Dr. Send didn't say anything to the cop at the time it's gonna be hard to prove that the bouncer was the cause of the hearing loss.

[MeatPuppet]

Hey MeatPuppet, I don't recall Dr. Send asking for opinions on the incident, just what we think he should do following the incident.

Please tell me that you just started typing without thinking, and that you are not serious. What he should do after the incident depends entirely on what happened in the incident. You can't separate the two. Except maybe going to the doctor, that's a no brainer.

Seems like you took the opportunity to get on your soapbox and show off your expertise -- it's kind of a pattern with you, homes. What's up with that?

I'm just through like that. Questions like this can't be answered in a three line post.

I know it makes me an easy target for accusations like yours, but I have been helped immensely, more than I can ever imagine, by people who were willing to freely share their knowledge and experiences with me when they didn't have to. I am happy to do the same for others wherever I can. So if I can help somebody learn something, or chase a dream, or protect themselves, I will. If you have a problem with that....

Bite me

[yogachik]

totally unrelated: is it "homes" or is it "holmes"? I imagine it's "homes" as in "homie", but I always picture it, in my mind, as "Holmes", as in Sherlock.

yes, see a doctor. and, fwiw, I found Meatpuppet's response enlightening. Like our own Judge Judy, right here, on TGR.

[pappag]

totally unrelated: is it "homes" or is it "holmes"? I imagine it's "homes" as in "homie", but I always picture it, in my mind, as "Holmes", as in Sherlock.

Only Holmes I know is this guy: