Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive degeneration of the brain, is becoming a very high profile issue. In a recent lawsuit where two former wrestlers are suing World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for brain injuries incurred from fighting, the success of the claim hinges on whether there is enough evidence to prove that WWE was indeed negligent and reckless in their handling of these fighters, notes personal injury experts Berkowitz and Hanna LLC.
On January 16th of this year, two former WWE fighters—Vito LoGrasso and Evan Singleton—filed a personal injury lawsuit against WWE for brain damage and injuries that they allegedly sustained while fighting. In the lawsuit, they claim that LoGrasso sustained serious neurological damage, causing him to have headaches, memory loss, depression and hearing impairment. Singleton claims that his brain injuries caused him to have tremors, convulsions and migraines. The lawsuit alleges that WWE failed to give wrestlers adequate rest time, made them perform too often and ignored or downplayed any signs of brain damage and injuries by discouraging them from seeking medical attention.
The WWE is contesting the lawsuit, stating that it had sound concussion management procedures and policies in place. The lawsuit is still pending and, notes Berkowitz and Hanna LLC, it should be interesting to see this play out, especially since this lawsuit comes in the wake of a string of similar complaints against the WWE.
Note: Berkowitz and Hanna LLC did not represent any of the parties in this case.
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Berkowitz Hanna
