Two former WWE wrestlers have sued the company in Federal Court in Philadelphia claiming they suffer from serious brain injuries as a result of “repeated concussions” in the ring. The lawsuit is said to be similar to the one filed by “Billy Jack” Haynes in Oregon.
Vito “Big Vito” LoGrasso and Evan “Adam Mercer” Singleton are the plaintiffs. The lawsuit seeks class action status and accuses the WWE of “selling violence” and turning a blind eye to the health of its wrestlers including “ignoring” concussions suffered by the plaintiffs.
LoGrasso wrestled for the WWE from 1991 to 1998 and from 2005 to 2006. He claims to suffer from “serious neurological damage.” Singleton wrestled for WWE from 2012 to 2013 and was one of the youngest wresters in WWE history at 19. He also claims to have “an array of serious symptoms” as a result of his time in the WWE.
The WWE’s attorney, Jerry McDevitt, claims that the company has “never concealed any medical information related to concussions, or others.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified economic damages and medical monitoring.
LoGrasso is now 50 years old and Singleton is only 22.
Payout Perspective:
It will be interesting to see if this lawsuit will be tied with the Haynes lawsuit. One of the law firms involved in the LoGrasso/Singleton lawsuit may be involved with the Haynes litigation as well. The WWE will file its response to the Haynes lawsuit shortly. LoGrasso’s stint in the WWE should help with the claims as both Haynes and Singleton had shorter stints with the company. These lawsuits appear to be patterned after the NFL concussion lawsuits. We will see if more wrestlers join the litigation which may evolve into a class action. If that is the case, it could spell big trouble for the WWE.
MMA Payout will keep you posted.
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