By If you’ve been searching for the full story behind the Janice Griffith lawsuit what really happened on that rooftop, who was held responsible, whether she won, and what the settlement was you’re in the right place. This guide breaks everything down in plain language, without legal jargon, and without leaving out the parts that actually matter to people who may be dealing with their own civil injury claims.
We’ll walk through the incident, the legal arguments, the case outcome, and most importantly what ordinary people can learn from this case if they’ve been hurt due to someone else’s negligence.
Case at a Glance: Key Facts
Before diving into the details, here’s a clear snapshot of the official court record:
| Case Name | Griffith v. LFP Internet Group LLC et al. |
| Court | Los Angeles County Superior Court – Stanley Mosk Courthouse |
| Filed | December 16, 2014 |
| Dismissed | April 4, 2016 |
| Plaintiff | Janice Griffith (adult model) |
| Defendants | LFP Publishing Group LLC (Hustler Magazine) & Dan Bilzerian |
| Damages Sought | $85,000 (medical costs, lost income, pain & suffering) |
| Outcome | Confidential settlement – dismissed with prejudice |
What Exactly Happened? The Rooftop Incident Explained
On April 23, 2014, Janice Griffith an 18-year-old adult model was participating in a photo shoot organized by Hustler Magazine at the Hollywood Hills mansion belonging to Dan Bilzerian, a well-known social media personality and high-stakes poker player.
The stunt was designed to be a dramatic, eye-catching promotional moment: Bilzerian would throw Griffith from the rooftop into the pool below. It was the kind of content that was tailor-made to go viral on Instagram, which at the time was rapidly turning influencers like Bilzerian into household names.
What nobody planned for was what actually happened. Mid-throw, Griffith grabbed onto Bilzerian’s shirt something she had reportedly been told in advance not to do which shortened her arc and caused her to miss the pool entirely. She struck the pool’s edge and broke her foot.
The injury was real, the negligence claim was serious, and the legal battle that followed raised questions that go well beyond this single incident.
| WHY AGE MATTERS HERE Griffith was just 18 years old at the time of the incident. Courts pay close attention to whether young participants especially those new to an industry can truly provide fully informed consent to dangerous activities. |
The Janice Griffith Lawsuit: What She Filed and Why
On December 16, 2014 about eight months after the incident Griffith’s attorney filed a civil complaint in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit named two defendants:
- Hustler: LFP Publishing Group LLC (the parent company behind Hustler Magazine)
- Bilzerian: Dan Bilzerian, the social media personality who performed the throw
The complaint was filed under the case name Griffith v. LFP Internet Group LLC et al., with Judges Michael J. Raphael and Gail Feuer presiding.
What Griffith Claimed
The core of the Janice Griffith lawsuit was a negligence claim. She alleged:
- That Bilzerian and Hustler had a duty of care to ensure her safety during the stunt
- That no qualified stunt coordinator was present
- That reasonable safety precautions were not taken
- That the defendants breached their duty and caused her physical harm
She sought $85,000 in damages covering medical expenses, lost income during her recovery, and compensation for pain and suffering. That may sound modest by lawsuit standards, but it reflects the actual documented costs she was trying to recover not a lottery ticket.
What the Defendants Argued Back
Both Bilzerian and Hustler pushed back hard. Their core defense strategy rested on the legal concept of ‘assumption of risk’ the idea that Griffith voluntarily agreed to a dangerous activity and therefore cannot hold others responsible when something goes wrong.
Bilzerian’s legal team, headed by attorney Tom Goldstein, sent a pre-litigation response letter that became widely circulated online. The letter was sarcastic and dismissive, suggesting the case had no merit and predicting Griffith would ‘obviously lose.’
On the legal side, Hustler filed its own cross-complaint against Bilzerian essentially arguing that if anyone was responsible, it was him personally, not the magazine. This turned the litigation into a three-way dispute, which ironically made settlement a more practical outcome for everyone involved.
LEGAL INSIGHT
When defendants start fighting each other in a lawsuit, it often accelerates settlement. That’s exactly what happened here the cross-complaint between Hustler and Bilzerian made a private resolution far more attractive than a messy public trial.
Did Janice Griffith Win the Lawsuit?
This is the question everyone wants answered. The short, honest answer: the case settled confidentially in 2016, so there was no public verdict in the traditional sense.
The case was dismissed on April 4, 2016 with prejudice following a settlement agreement between the parties. ‘Dismissed with prejudice’ means Griffith cannot refile the same claims. It also strongly suggests she received some form of compensation in exchange for dropping the case.
What We Know About the Settlement
- The settlement terms are confidential neither side disclosed the amount publicly
- Legal observers familiar with the case believe the settlement fell in the five-figure range
- The amount was likely less than the original $85,000 demand but still meaningful enough to justify two years of litigation
- No public admissions of liability were made by either Bilzerian or Hustler
Despite the attorney’s bold letter predicting a total loss, the case did not go Bilzerian’s way in the end. The fact that it settled especially given how aggressively his team dismissed the claim speaks volumes. Insurance companies don’t pay settlements they don’t have to pay.
WHAT SETTLEMENT REALLY MEANS
A confidential settlement is NOT a loss. For many personal injury plaintiffs, settling is the best outcome faster resolution, guaranteed compensation, and no risk of an adverse jury verdict.
Key Legal Issues This Case Raised
The Janice Griffith lawsuit wasn’t just about one woman and one rooftop. It touched on legal principles that affect thousands of civil injury cases every year including cases involving workplace safety, entertainment liability, and the rights of workers in non-traditional industries.
1. Assumption of Risk Does Consent Override Safety?
Assumption of risk is a common defense in personal injury law. It argues that if you knowingly and voluntarily enter a risky situation, you accept the consequences. But this defense has limits. Courts have consistently held that assumption of risk does not protect defendants who act with gross negligence meaning they knew the danger was unreasonable and proceeded anyway.
In Griffith’s case, the key questions were: Did she consent to this specific level of danger? Was a reasonable standard of care followed? The absence of a stunt coordinator and professional safety planning was central to her argument that the risk went beyond what she had consented to.
2. Duty of Care in Influencer and Entertainment Settings
Bilzerian was not a licensed production company. He was a social media personality staging content at his own home. The lawsuit raised an important question that courts are still grappling with today: do content creators owe the same duty of care to participants as traditional media companies?
The answer, increasingly, is yes. Courts have held that the informal nature of influencer content does not exempt creators from negligence standards when stunts cause injury.
3. Vicarious Liability Can Hustler Be Blamed for Bilzerian’s Actions?
Hustler organized and sponsored the shoot. Bilzerian threw Griffith. So who’s responsible? The legal concept of vicarious liability holds that an employer or client can be held accountable for the actions of someone acting on their behalf. If Bilzerian was performing the stunt for Hustler’s benefit, Hustler could share in the liability which is exactly what Griffith argued.
4. Workplace Safety for Non-Traditional Workers
Griffith was a freelance model, not a full-time Hustler employee. This raised questions about what protections workers in non-traditional employment situations are entitled to. These issues are increasingly relevant for gig workers, freelancers, and contractors who may be injured on the job but fall outside standard employment protections.
Janice Griffith Lawsuit Timeline: From Incident to Settlement
| April 23, 2014 | The rooftop incident occurs during the Hustler photo shoot at Bilzerian’s Hollywood Hills home. |
| Late 2014 | Griffith’s attorney sends a demand letter seeking $85,000. Bilzerian’s attorney Tom Goldstein responds with a widely shared dismissive letter. |
| December 16, 2014 | Griffith formally files suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against LFP Internet Group (Hustler) and Dan Bilzerian. |
| January–February 2015 | Both defendants file partial answers. Bilzerian’s team files a demurrer (challenging the legal sufficiency of the claim) and a cross-complaint against Hustler. |
| March 2015 | Hustler files its own cross-complaint against Bilzerian, turning the case into a three-way dispute. |
| 2015–2016 | Discovery, depositions, and procedural motions proceed. Settlement negotiations begin in earnest. |
| April 4, 2016 | The case is dismissed with prejudice indicating a confidential settlement was reached. |
What the Janice Griffith Lawsuit Means for You
You may not be an adult model or a social media star. But if you’ve been injured because someone else was careless at a work event, a media production, a promotional shoot, or any situation where someone should have taken better care of your safety the legal principles in this case apply to you.
Here’s what everyday people can take away from this case:
You Don’t Have to Win at Trial to Get Compensated
Most personal injury cases including this one never go to trial. They settle. And settling is not losing. A settlement means you receive real money without the time, cost, and uncertainty of a court proceeding. Top rated attorneys know how to negotiate settlements that reflect the true value of your claim.
Signing Up Doesn’t Mean Signing Away Everything
The defense argued that Griffith consented to the stunt, so she assumed the risk. But consent is not a blank check. When a defendant increases danger beyond what was reasonably agreed upon or fails to implement basic safety measures assumption of risk may not apply. An attorney can help you understand whether your situation was truly one of informed consent or one of negligence.
Even Powerful Defendants Can Be Held Accountable
Dan Bilzerian had significant resources and an aggressive legal team. Hustler is a major media company. Despite the dismissive response from Bilzerian’s attorney, the case settled meaning even the high and mighty can face consequences for their negligence.
Documenting Everything Matters
Griffith’s case was supported by video footage of the incident the same viral video that made Bilzerian famous actually helped establish what happened. If you are ever injured in a situation involving a workplace, event, or production, document everything immediately: photos, videos, witness names, medical records, and communications.
How to Find a Top Rated Attorney for Your Civil Rights or Injury Case
If the Janice Griffith lawsuit has taught you anything, it’s that the quality of your legal representation matters enormously. You need someone who understands negligence law, who isn’t intimidated by deep-pocketed defendants, and who knows when to fight and when to negotiate.
Here’s what to look for when searching for top rated attorneys in personal injury or civil rights cases:
- Proven track record in personal injury, workplace injury, or negligence cases
- Experience with confidential settlements and high-profile defendants
- Transparent fee structures most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless you win
- Clear communication you should always know what’s happening in your case
- Willingness to take cases others dismiss as unwinnable
When looking for a top rated attorney in your area, start with your state bar’s referral service, Martindale-Hubbell, AVVO, or Super Lawyers. Look for reviews from real clients, not just peer ratings.
Final Thoughts: What the Janice Griffith Lawsuit Teaches Us
The Janice Griffith lawsuit is more than a celebrity legal footnote. It’s a real case with real legal principles that matter to everyday people workers injured on the job, participants hurt during entertainment events, and anyone who has faced a powerful opponent telling them their claim isn’t worth pursuing.
The case settled. Griffith was compensated. And despite the viral mockery from Bilzerian’s legal team, the legal system ultimately worked not perfectly, not dramatically, but the way it usually works: through negotiation, pressure, and the leverage that comes from having a credible legal claim.
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, the most important thing you can do right now is speak to a qualified attorney. Don’t be discouraged by confident-sounding pushback from the other side. Don’t assume that consent means you have no case. And don’t wait statutes of limitations apply to personal injury claims, and time is never on the side of the injured party.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Janice Griffith Lawsuit
Q: What was the Janice Griffith lawsuit about?
The lawsuit was a civil personal injury case filed by adult model Janice Griffith against Hustler Magazine (LFP Publishing Group LLC) and social media personality Dan Bilzerian. Griffith broke her foot during an April 2014 rooftop stunt at Bilzerian’s Hollywood Hills home that was staged for a Hustler photo shoot. She claimed the defendants were negligent and failed to provide reasonable safety measures.
Q: Did Janice Griffith win the lawsuit?
The case settled confidentially in 2016 and was dismissed with prejudice. There was no public court verdict. However, a dismissal with prejudice following an ‘OSC re: Settlement’ hearing strongly indicates that a settlement payment was made. Legal observers believe the settlement was in the five-figure range meaningful, if less than the initial $85,000 demand.
Q: What was the Janice Griffith lawsuit settlement amount?
The settlement terms remain confidential. Neither Griffith, Bilzerian, nor Hustler has publicly disclosed the amount. Legal analysts who tracked the case believe it settled for a sum less than the original $85,000 demand, but no verified figure has been made public.
Q: Who were the defendants in the Janice Griffith lawsuit?
There were two defendants: LFP Publishing Group LLC (the parent company of Hustler Magazine), and Dan Bilzerian, the social media personality who threw Griffith from the roof. Each filed cross-complaints against the other, which complicated the litigation and likely pushed both parties toward settlement.
Q: Why did Janice Griffith’s case settle instead of going to trial?
Several factors pushed the case toward settlement: the defendants had liability insurance, which typically pushes insurers to settle rather than risk a larger jury verdict; Bilzerian and Hustler filed cross-complaints against each other, creating incentive for all parties to resolve the dispute privately; and settlements offer faster, guaranteed outcomes compared to the uncertainty of trial.