The legal fallout continues from Floribama Shore star Aimee Hall’s arrest following an altercation at a Panama City Beach bar back in May. In addition to facing a criminal charge of battery after allegedly punching another young woman who was upset that the show didn’t paint PCB in a favorable light, Aimee and show producers are also facing a civil suit filed by the alleged victim.
The criminal charge has moved right along and is currently set for a jury trial in October. The defense lists Aimee’s co-stars Kortni Gilson, Candace Rice, and Nilsa Prowant as witnesses, plus one other woman from Panama City Beach. Meanwhile, the State only lists the alleged victim and the arresting officer as witnesses. Judging by the more detailed filings in the civil case, it appears as though Aimee plans on claiming that the alleged victim was the actual aggressor and Aimee was merely standing her ground and defending herself.
UPDATE – Aimee has entered a no contest plea in the criminal case and has been sentenced! Click the link for all the details!
Meanwhile, the civil suit has not progressed as smoothly. The alleged victim’s attorney filed the civil complaint on July 6. That lawsuit names Aimee as well as Floribama Shore production company 495 Productions, LLC, and requests in excess of $15,000 in damages. From the complaint:
As a direct and proximate result of this battery, Plaintiff suffered serious bodily injury and emotional injury and resulting pain and suffering, mental anguish, embarrassment, medical expenses, and medical and nursing care and treatment. These losses are continuing and permanent, and Plaintiff will suffer these losses in the future.
The civil lawsuit alleges that Aimee was an employee of 495 Productions, LLC and even goes so far as to accuse Floribama Shore producers of negligence for “facilitating, promoting and encouraging its servants, agents and employees, including, Aimee Hall, to consume large amounts of intoxicants, and to engage in extreme and outrageous behavior in order to promote ratings, and therefore, increase revenue for the company.”
495 Productions failed to respond to the complaint before the July 31 deadline, and the defense filed for default judgment on August 1. That seemed to light a fire under the butts of the production company, as their attorney responded the same day. In addition to an official response in court, they also attempted to call the attorney for the alleged victim to get a 20-day extension, but had difficulty getting through. However, once they did, the plaintiff’s attorney didn’t seem too receptive to allowing the defense more time.
“We cannot agree to any extension,” the response email from the plaintiff’s attorney’s office reads. “The deadline to file the answer was July 31, 2018, and the attached default was previously entered.” That’s the entire email.
As far as the reason for not responding by the initial deadline, the 495 Productions attorney explains it was his understanding that “495 Productions was working with their insurance carrier to determine coverage and said insurance carrier could very likely appoint its own in-house or panel counsel to defend 495 Productions.”
Show creator SallyAnn Salsano would later clarify in an affidavit: “There was miscommunication and misunderstanding between 495 Productions and its attorneys on which ones would be approved by 495 Productions LLC’s insurance carrier to represent the company in this matter and file a timely Answer to Plaintiff’s Complaint.”
Once it was clear exactly who would be representing 495 Productions, their attorneys wasted no time and immediately filed an order to vacate the default as well as file a countersuit against the alleged victim. The production is also seeking in excess of $15,000 in damages. Here is the break down of Aimee’s defense response:
First Affirmative Defense — Self Defense
1. HALL had a reasonable belief there was an imminent threat to her personal safety and the safety of others caused by the threatening words and physical actions of [Alleged victim]. Any actions taken by HALL were taken to protect herself.
Second Affirmative Defense — Defense of Others
2. HALL had a reasonable belief there was an imminent threat to her personal and the safety of others who were with her by the threatening words and physical actions of [Alleged victim]. Any actions taken by HALL were protect and in defense of others with her.
Third Affirmative Defense — Statutory Privilege
3. HALL had a statutory privilege to stand her ground pursuant to section 776.013 Florida Statues.
Fourth Affirmative Defense – Assumption of risk
4. [Alleged victim] assumed the risk of her threatening words and physical actions toward HALL and others that were with her.
Interestingly, Aimee and the 495 Productions legal team filed a discovery motion asking for copies of Facebook posts made by the alleged victim and her Facebook friends “regarding the incident, desire to sue MTV / Viacom / 495 Productions, etc.” Also mentioned is a “Facebook social media photo of alleged victim …, posted on May 17, 2018, one day after alleged incident.” If this woman was boasting about suing MTV and posted a photo on Facebook the following day, it probably won’t play well in front of a jury.
In their defense of 495 Productions, the attorneys attempt to establish a liability firewall between show producers and Aimee’s actions. After claiming that Aimee was merely standing her ground and defending herself during the altercation, the filing also clarifies the relationship between 495 Productions and Aimee:
Defendant states as its fourteenth affirmative defense that Aimee Hall was not its employee, agent, or servant at any time material to the allegations contained in the Plaintiff’s Complaint, and therefor cannot be vicariously liable for the actions of Aimee Hall.
Because of all the delays in the civil suit, there is still no trial date. Of course, it may not even get to that point if a judge elects to toss the case. I’m guessing that the decision in the civil case will be heavily influenced by the outcome of the criminal trial next month, so stay tuned!
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
