Gavin Cox flew to Las Vegas from Britain on his birthday, just to see the magician perform before the devastating accident.
Famed illusionist David Copperfield is the subject of a multi-million-dollar lawsuit filed by a former fan who claims he was seriously injured while taking part in one of the star's magic tricks.
Opening arguments began Friday in Las Vegas, where Gavin Cox has sued Copperfield, saying he suffered a traumatic brain injury after being brought on stage with 12 other audience members for the "vanishing crowd" trick at a 2013 performance.
Cox claims he and the others were hustled through a secret passage, where he tripped and fell in the dark. He hit his head, Cox said, and has never been the same since.
Cox was such a fan of the magician that he flew from his hometown of London to Las Vegas to see Copperfield's act on his birthday, he said.
"We're going to show you it's an accident waiting to happen," said Cox's attorney, Benedict Morelli.
Copperfield may take the stand next week. Morelli has previously said he may ask Copperfield under oath to explain how his magic trick worked.
Cox said he has had three neck surgeries since the accident. Copperfield's attorney says the trick has been performed successfully for over 15 years with more than 100,000 audience participants.
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