Trader Files Lawsuit Claiming Lap Dance Injury

A securities trader has filed a lawsuit claiming he was injured when a stripper giving him a lap dance swiveled and smacked him in the face with the heel of her shoe.

Stephen Chang claims in court papers that he was at the Hot Lap Dance Club near Madison Square Garden in Manhattan alone and was getting a paid lap dance when the accident occurred. According to the lawsuit, as the dancer swung around, the heel of her shoe hit him in the eye, causing him "to sustain serious injuries."

Mr. Chang was at the club around 1 a.m. on November 2, 2007 when the injury occurred, according to the suit filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court. His lawyer, Stephan Persoff, said Mr. Chang is married and in his early 30s. He declined to give the name of the brokerage firm where Mr. Chang works.

A man who identified himself as the manager of the Hot Lap Dance Club said he was unaware of the accident or the lawsuit. The club's lawyer, Stephen Ateshoglou, did not return a call for comment.

On its Web site, the club describes its space at 38th Street and Ninth Avenue as the "Playboy Mansion of Manhattan party lofts." The site says admission is $50 plus a one-time club membership fee of $10 for newcomers. Lap dances cost around $40, according to the Web site, but it wasn't clear what type of dance Mr. Chang had paid for. The site claims the "hand picked" performers have "killer bodies" and are between 18 and 29-years-old.