Former WWE Wrestlers File Brain Injury Class Action Lawsuit

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On Jan. 16, a brain injury class action lawsuit was filed against World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. by two former wrestlers who allege WWE’s business practices encourage performers to fight despite injuries and downplay the risk of wrestlers incurring brain injuries in the future.

Plaintiffs Evan Singleton and Vito LoGrasso filed this WWE class action lawsuit in Pennsylvania federal court, claiming that when a wrestler sustains injuries during a scripted match, especially ones where a wrestler sustained head blows and/or were knocked unconscious, medical experts maintained by WWE were allegedly paid to minimize the risks of repetitive head or brain injury. These medical professionals were also allegedly paid to ignore when players continued to fight despite injury.

WWE has marketed its pay-per-view fights worldwide with the promise of entertaining violence. However, according to the WWE brain injury class action lawsuit, the wrestling company intentionally misinforms entertainers about the exact risks and side effects injuries to brain, leaving these wrestlers on their own to deal when eventual cognitive decline, depression, and thoughts of suicide set in.

The brain injury class action lawsuit claims, “It is not simply that WWE has failed to protect its wrestlers. WWE deliberately creates and heightens the violence of its matches in order to ‘heat’ up audiences and increase its profits.” The WWE complaint points to several fighting incidents where injured wrestlers were allegedly encouraged by WWE announcers and hired medical professional to continue wrestling in the pay-per-view.

One example of these allegedly dangerous business practices included in the WWE class action lawsuit refers to the an incident in which an unconscious female wrestler was dragged and pinned in the center of the wrestling ring. The WWE class action lawsuit also points to an incident in which a male wrestler, who had one shattered tooth lodged in his nostril from being thrown into a steel cage, was egged on to keep fighting by match commentators.

According to the brain injury class action lawsuit, WWE has publicly recognized that the falls and blows wrestlers sustained during matches can cause harm; however, the company has done nothing to address the safety issues and alleged brain injuries.

Singleton and LoGrosso, who go by the stage names Adam Mercer and Big Vito, seek to represent themselves in this WWE brain injury class action lawsuit, as well as a Class of “All persons who currently or formerly wrestled for World Wide Entertainment or a predecessor company, and who reside in the United States.” They are also seeking pay for loss of wages and medical expenses of allegedly uninsured current and former WWE workers, as well as asking WWE to create a safer working environment for wrestlers.

The plaintiffs are represented by Harris L. Pogust and Andrew J. Sciolla of Pogust Braslow & Millrood LLC, by Charles J. LaDuca and Brendan Thompson of Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca LLP, by Robert K. Shelquist and Scott Moriarity of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP and by Konstantine W. Kyros of Kyros Law Offices.

The WWE Brain Injury Class Action Lawsuit is Singleton, et al. v. World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., Case No. 5:15-cv-00223, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

UPDATE: On July 18, 2016, over 50 former pro wrestlers filed another class action lawsuit against WWE and Vince McMahon, alleging they were lied to about the long-term health effects caused by traumatic brain injuries.