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The Latest: Jury told Reid to blame for exercise-band mishap

Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid sits in court Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Las Vegas. A jury in Nevada heard opening arguments Tuesday in Reid's lawsuit against the maker of a flexible exercise band that he says slipped from his hand while he used it in January 2015, causing him to fall and suffer lasting injuries including blindness in one eye. (AP Photo/John Locher)

LAS VEGAS — The Latest on former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s negligence lawsuit against the maker of an elastic exercise band he blames for injuries including blindness in one eye after losing his grip and falling while using a flexible device in 2015 (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

A lawyer for an elastic exercise band maker blamed U.S. Sen. Harry Reid for his own serious injuries, including blindness in one eye, suffered when he lost his grip and fell while using a flexible device in 2015.

Attorney Laurin Quiat (KWIE’-at) told a civil trial jury in Las Vegas on Tuesday that congressional exercise advisers tried for months to get the former Democratic party leader to improve his stance, balance and technique for using the resistance bands.

Quiat concluded opening statements telling jurors that just because someone gets hurt doesn’t mean someone else is responsible.

Quiat also says jurors will never know for sure if Reid was using his company’s exercise product, called TheraBand, because Reid family members threw out the one he used the day he was hurt.

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1:30 p.m.

Opening arguments are scheduled in former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s lawsuit against the maker of a flexible exercise band that he says slipped from his hand while he used it in 2015, causing him to fall and suffer lasting injuries including blindness in one eye.

Clark County District Court spokeswoman Mary Ann Price says a jury in Las Vegas was seated Tuesday for the civil trial in Nevada state court.

The 79-year-old former Senate Democratic party leader and his wife, Landra Gould, seek damages from Ohio-based Hygenic Intangible Property Holding Co. and subsidiaries that make the product called TheraBand.

Reid’s lawsuit alleges negligence and calls the elastic physical resistance band defective and unreasonably dangerous, particularly for the elderly.

The company says Reid got hurt because he misused the exercise band.

Ken Ritter, The Associated Press