Major Update On Concussion Related Lawsuits Filed Against WWE
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals today affirmed the dismissal of all the CTE cases filed against WWE by Konstantine Kyros.
This appeal arises from seven cases consolidated in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut against the company by former WWE wrestlers, starting with a putative class action suit filed in October of 2014 by William Albert Haynes III, a.k.a Billy Jack Haynes. Two of the seven cases were not appealed.
The former WWE talent claimed that they suffered CTE as well as other physical and mental health impairments due to the physical trauma they experienced while performing for the company. Kyros represented the plaintiffs / appellants in each of the cases.
The appeals of the cases brought by Haynes, Russ McCullough, Cassandra Frazier and Evan Singleton (Vito LoGrasso) were dismissed on the grounds that Kyros' appeal of those cases was not on time. Regarding the fifth case, brought by Joseph M. Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal), which involved dozens of former performers, the court decided on the merits and ruled that all those claims were either time barred or defective for the reasons cited by the trial judge.
It was noted to Wrestling Inc. that the amount of money that Kyros will have to pay WWE as a sanction is all that remains now to be decided.
The list of former wrestlers involved in the cases includes Haynes, Marty Jannetty, Joseph M. Laurinaitis , James Harris (Kamala), Troy Martin (Shane Douglas), Marc Copani (Muhammad Hassan), Anthony Norris (Ahmed Johnson), Paul Orndorff, Chris Pallies (King Kong Bundy), Cassandra Frazier individually and as next of kin to her deceased husband, Nelson Lee Frazier, Jr. (Mabel), Terry Brunk (Sabu), Barry Darsow (Demolition Smash), Bill Eadie (Demolition Ax), Ken Patera, Rodney Begnaud (Rodney Mack), Russ McCullough, Matthew Robert Wiese (Luther Reigns), Evan Singleton, Vito Lograsso, John Nord (The Berzerker), Jonathan Hugger, AKA Johnny the Bull, James Brunzell, James Manley (Jim Powers), Michael Enos (Blake Beverly), Bruce Reed (Butch Reed), Sylain Grenier, Don Leo Heaton (Don Leo Jonathan), Mark Canterbury (Henry Godwin), Judy Martin, Bernard Knighton as Personal Representative of Estate of Brian Knighton (Axl Rotten), Terry Szopinski (Warlord), Sione Havia Vailahi (Barbarian), Tracy Smothers (Freddie Joe Floyd), George Gray (One Man Gang), Ronald Scott Heard on behalf of estate of Ronald Heard (Outlaw Ron Bass), Boris Zhukov, David Silva, Gayle Schecter as Personal Representative of Estate Jon Rechner (Balls Mahoney), Ashley Massaro, Perry Satullo (Perry Saturn), Charles Bernard Scaggs (2 Cold Scorpio), Carole M. Snuka on behalf of Estate of James W. Snuka (Superfly Jimmy Snuka), Salvador Guerrero (Chavo Guerrero, Jr.), Chavo Guerrero, Sr., Bryan Emmett Clark, Jr. (AKA Adam Bomb), Dave Hebner, Earl Hebner, Carlene B. Moore-Begnaud (Jazz), Mark Jindrak, Jon Heidenreich, amongst others.
Correction 9/9 2:20 p.m. Noted that for the appeal for the Laurinaitis case, the court decided on the merits and ruled that all those claims were either time barred or defective for the reasons cited by the trial judge.