KSDK -- The feud between the founder of the City Museum and one of St. Louis' most prominent personal injury lawyers deepened Friday, with the museum founder calling the lawyer a "mugger" and "ambulance chaser."
Bob Cassilly, founder of the museum, says that personal injury lawsuits against the museum are raising his insurance rates, and he's passing the higher costs on to visitors. He has a huge effigy of lawyer Terry Crouppen in the lobby of the museum, with Crouppen locked up in a pillory.
Crouppen says Cassilly thinks all lawsuits are frivolous, but that is not the case. Crouppen says lawyers represent people who are injured at places like the City Museum. He says his clients show up in private cars, but have to leave in ambulances because of their injuries.
Crouppen represents a woman who broke her leg in the museum ball pit, which is a pit full of big rubber balls. Crouppen says that's some evidence of carelessness by the museum.
However, Cassilly says the woman in question contributed to her injuries, in that she didn't follow the rules. Cassilly says the pit was closed because of rain, its limited to children and she violated a major rule: she jumped in.
Crouppen says his clients come to him for help and thinks Cassilly is too quick to call all lawsuits "frivolous." When you lose a finger or get a head injury, that's hardly frivolous, says Crouppen.
The effigy of Crouppen looks differently than it did earlier this week: a big button has been added to his blue sport coat, which reads "feed me."
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