WWE Hit with Lawsuit Over Alleged Hearing Damage from Smackdown Show

WWE recently filed a motion to move a civil lawsuit against the company from the Superior Court of Connecticut, Judicial District of Stamford, to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, bringing the case under federal jurisdiction. WWE took this step because both the company and the plaintiff Richard Bryant reside in different states.

According to PWInsider, the lawsuit filed in March alleges that Bryant, a Florida resident, suffered injuries after attending a Friday Night SmackDown taping in Orlando, Florida, in July 2022. According to WWE’s filing, Bryant claims that he was seated near the stage when pyrotechnics were set off, causing an explosion so loud that it resulted in nearly complete hearing loss in his right ear.

The lawsuit alleges negligence on WWE’s part, pointing to various failures in warning, testing, operating, hiring, and supervising related to the use of pyrotechnics. The complaint claims these failures led to personal injuries, including a traumatic rupture of his right eardrum, bilateral tinnitus, and psychological harm.

On top of that, Bryant’s lawsuit also states that he had to use crutches and wear a boot to support his left foot, indicating limited motion and potential surgical fusion due to a different injury. This unusual detail raises questions about whether Bryant’s legal team inadvertently included information from a separate lawsuit, given the inconsistency with the ear-related injuries described elsewhere in the complaint.

Bryant’s lawsuit suggests that his injuries could be permanent, and he claims to have incurred and expects future medical expenses related to treatment. While the move to federal court and the peculiarities in the lawsuit will shape how this case unfolds, the basis of the lawsuit and WWE’s response will likely be scrutinized for signs of merit and legitimacy.

In case you didn’t know, WWE is already dealing with a similar lawsuit brought by Marvin Jackson, who claimed that he suffered hearing injuries while attending WrestleMania 38 in Dallas. Regardless, we’ll have to wait and see whether Bryant’s lawsuit will actually progress in the end.

Are you surprised WWE is dealing with a similar kind of lawsuit again? Let us know in the comments section below!