Richard Bryant, a resident of Florida, filed a lawsuit against WWE claiming he was injured at an Orlando Friday Night Smackdown event back in July 2022.
The suit alleges that he suffered injuries due to “negligence and carelessness” of the company as they failed to “adequately warn of the dangers of pyrotechnics, failed to test the effect of pyrotechnics on the premises, failed to operate the pyrotechnics with reasonable care, failed to hire, select, train, and supervise reasonably competent employees, failed to implement and enforce reasonable policies and procedures for the safe use of pyrotechnics, failed to use ordinary care in the administration of pyrotechnics, failed to warn Plaintiff of the potential effects of use of pyrotechnics, any and all other acts determined to be negligent or grossly by the tier of fact.”
The lawsuit also claims that he sustained permanent injuries, including “traumatic rupture of his right ear drum, bilateral tinnitus, hearing loss in his right ear, and psychological harm.” According to the lawsuit, he has taken on and is likely to incur additional medical expenses.
Bryant is seeking $15,000 in damages as a result. According to court documents obtained by PWInsider.com, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut granted WWE an extension to respond to the suit by June 3rd.
A similar lawsuit was filed by a fan who attended WrestleMania 38, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a previous decision from the District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, noting that WWE was correct in its case that any issues would have to be resolved through arbitration because he entered into an agreement when purchasing the ticket. The District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, but he filed an appeal before it was dismissed, and he was told that he would have to go to arbitration to seek damages. It was sent to private arbitration, and there has been no word since.
