A group of retired wrestlers has filed a class action lawsuit against the WWE and Vince McMahon, claiming the company hid the long-term effects and risks of head injuries that they say they suffered during matches.
The complaint was filed on behalf of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka and dozens of former wrestlers, including Joseph "Road Warrior Animal" Laurinaitis, Paul "Mr. Wonderful" Orndorff and James "Kamala" Harris, who have performed with WWE or its predecessors since the 1970s.
A full list of all 51 Plaintiffs in the latest WWE lawsuit over CTE injuries.https://t.co/g74SmOcikk #wwecte pic.twitter.com/XkVSDlzNGG
— Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) July 19, 2016
Similar to recent lawsuits against the NHL and NFL, the WWE is being accused of failing to care for wrestlers' repetitive head injuries "in any medically competent or meaningful manner" and concealing the risks of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other traumatic brain injuries they suffered as a result of their careers, as first reported by Bloomberg.
WWE "placed corporate gain over its wrestlers' health, safety, and financial security, choosing to leave the plaintiffs severely injured and with no recourse to treat their damaged minds and bodies," the complaint reads.
The WWE responded with a statement, dismissing the allegations (via Bloomberg): "This is another ridiculous attempt by the same attorney who has previously filed class-action lawsuits against WWE, both of which have been dismissed. A federal judge has already found that this lawyer made patently false allegations about WWE, and this is more of the same."
Joseph Laurinaitis, also known as "The Road Warrior Animal," is the main plaintiff in the complaint against WWE.
