Plaintiff In WWE Hearing Damage Lawsuit Files Opposition To Arbitration

The plaintiff in the lawsuit against WWE over hearing damage from a 2022 Smackdown taping has filed a motion opposing WWE’s attempts to move the matter to arbitration. As reported in May, the company was hit with the lawsuit from Richard Bryant, who alleges that he suffered injuries from a July 2022 taping in Orlando, Florida. PWInsider reports that Bryant filed the motion on July 24th seeking to prevent WWE’s wish to move the lawsuit to arbitration and stay the lawsuit until arbitration is complete.

WWE argued that the matter falls under Ticketmaster’s terms and conditions, which state that any issues arising from events would result in arbitration and that they haven’t waived their right to do so. Bryant argued that the court should dismiss the motion, arguing that because someone gifted a ticket by a friend who never had physical possession of the ticket, Bryan would not be held under the arbitration agreement and didn’t have “reasonable notice” of any agreement to arbitrate.

As previously reported, WWE was granted an extension by the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut to respond and have until July 3rd to do so.

Bryant is seeking $15,000 in damages and accused WWE of negligence and carelessness, claiming that they did not “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.”

Bryant also claims that some of his injuries, which include include “traumatic rupture of his right ear drum, bilateral tinnitus, hearing loss in his right ear, psychological harm,” may be permanent and has had medical expenses for treatment, with more such expenses likely.