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Injured circus acrobats to sue over hair-hanging stunt

Eight acrobats were injured last month during a hair-hanging stunt gone wrong.

By Kate Stanton

PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 18 (UPI) -- Eight circus performers injured during a hair-hanging stunt in Providence, R.I., last May, plan to sue for compensation.

"They want to make sure this never happens again in another circus act," said Michael Krzak, an attorney for seven of the eight women, told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday.

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The acrobats were part of a hair-hanging stunt during a May 4 performance at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus' Legends show. The stunt, described as a "Human Chandelier," required them to hang in the air by their hair.

But the carabiner snapped, according to a later investigation, causing them to drop 40 feet to the ground.

"My dream was to be a star performer," Julissa Segrera, 20, said. "Now my dream is to get up and walk."

Lawyers said they are still figuring out which parties to sue pending a complete investigation of the accident.

"We and everyone at Ringling Bros. definitely as a whole, continue to wish them a speedy recovery," a rep for Feld Entertainment, which owns the Ringling Bros., said in a statement. "And we would welcome them back to the Greatest Show on Earth with open arms" if they choose to return.

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