David Copperfield forced to reveal magic trick in court

April 20 (UPI) -- David Copperfield was forced to reveal a magic trick in court this week after a crowd member sued the magician for causing bodily harm.

Gavin Cox, a 58-year-old tourist from Britain was visiting Las Vegas in 2013 and attended Copperfield's show at the MGM Grand.He was one of 13 audience members chosen to participate in Copperfield's "Lucky #13" trick, which involves making the participants disappear and having one reappear on the other side of the concert hall.

But when Cox participated in the trick, he says he dislocated a shoulder and suffers from chronic pain and back injury, which has resulted in more than $400,000 in medical bills, according to NBC News.

To figure out what happened, a Las Vegas district court judge ordered Copperfield to reveal how he does the Lucky #13 trick, despite his attorneys arguing that doing so would cost him millions of dollars.

Copperfield revealed that once the 13 members, a curtain briefly covers them and they are each ushered into passageways built into the stage. They are then ushered through tunnels that go to the other side of the concert hall.

When Cox participated in the trick, he was ushered through a tunnel and fell. He dislocated his shoulder and had to go to the hospital.

Cox said the tunnel had debris and it was the fault of Copperfield and the MGM resort, whichis also a defendant in the lawsuit, for not making the area clear.

Copperfield and the resort argued that the tunnel was clear.

"Mr Cox did not slip; he tripped," said MGM resort attorney Jerry Popovich, according to the BBC.

Cox's lawyers argued that Copperfield's trick was an "accident waiting to happen," according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The trial continues next week.