Man beaned by coffee cup files 138 lawsuits in pursuit of elusive 'mugger'

A Sichuan province court will hear 138 lawsuits on Monday in one man's continuing search for the person who threw the coffee mug that left him with slight brain damage, local media reported Saturday.

Chengdu resident Chen Tao claimed he was clocked by the porcelain mug thrown from a height as he passed the Jinyang Mall in August, 2011. He has suffered from bouts of post-traumatic epilepsy ever since the injury.

Unable to locate his mugger, Chen was left with no "choice" but to sue the 138 business owners in the building for compensation, including those in the shopping mall's basement.

"We were beneath the earth when the accident occurred, how could we hurt someone with a falling mug?" asked one defendant who owns a small shop two floors underground.

Chen's lawsuit includes 170,000 yuan ($27,183) in medical fees incurred over the past three years, from which he remains in debt.

He claims the fiasco has also affected his marriage plans.

According to the paper, Chen is eligible to receive a collective settlement out of court.