WWE Wants Concussion Lawsuit Attorney To Pay More Than $500K In Legal Fees
WWE is reportedly seeking $573,770.44 in legal fees from lawyer Konstantine Kyros over the concussion lawsuit that was recently dismissed.
Kyros represented several WWE Hall of Famers and Superstars, including Road Warrior Animal, Paul Orndorff, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Ahmed Johnson, Dave and Earl Hebner, Sabu, Marty Jannetty, Shane Douglas, the late Jimmy Snuka, the late King Kong Bundy, the late Mr. Fuji, the late Kamala, Barry Darsow, and Heidenreich, among several others. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon was listed as a defendant in the suit. There have been other lawyers on the case that Kyros worked with, from other firms, but they have withdrawn as counsel, Kyros as the only attorney left representing the plaintiffs.
The wrestlers claimed that WWE failed to protect them from the repeated head injuries, including concussions that led to long-term brain damage. However, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City agreed with a federal judge in Hartford, Connecticut, US District Judge Vanessa Bryant, who dismissed the lawsuits two years ago, saying many of the claims were frivolous or filed after the statute of limitations expired.
WWE made a filing in a Connecticut federal court this past Monday, requesting Kyros to pay more than $500,000 in legal costs, according to Law360. (H/T to POST Wrestling). WWE is also looking to have another $39,844.00 paid for fees and costs related to their application following the decision from the Second Court.
The filing was done before a hearing on WWE's two constituent applications for court-ordered fees. The applications are related the two consolidated cases that have been dismissed.
Kyros appealed the concussion lawsuit to the United States Supreme Court back in February, asking the Court to hear the appeals. WWE insists the lawsuits are without merit.
Longtime WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt issued the following statement on the case:
He violated court orders, didn't comply with court orders, ignored court orders that cautioned him to cease certain behavior or risk sanctions. He would continue the same kind of behavior. He plagiarized and made false allegations based on other lawsuits against the NFL, where he would just parrot allegations that had been made against the NFL or its personnel, and would just change [text], reading from 'NFL' to 'WWE.'
The liability for sanctions has been established in three different court orders, that he's supposed to pay all of our attorney's fees in connection with various things he did wrong. The only thing left to be determined is how much that is.
Stay tuned for more.