WWE Sued By Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka And Other Former Wrestlers Over Head Injuries

Over 50 former wrestlers and performers are suing World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE) claiming that the entertainment company hid the long-term effects of neurological injuries from the wrestlers and failed to provide them with necessary medical attention and support.

The complaint, filed Monday in federal court in New Haven, Connecticut, reportedly accused WWE of failing to care for wrestler’s repeated head injuries “in any medically competent or meaningful manner” and covering up the nature of long-term head injuries they suffered because of their careers.

The retired wrestlers, including Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, also alleged that the Stamford, Connecticut-based company is placing “corporate gain over its wrestlers’ health, safety and financial security, choosing to leave the plaintiffs severely injured and with no recourse to treat their damaged minds and bodies.”

WWE announced that it’s confident the case will be dismissed.

“This is another ridiculous attempt by the same attorney who has previously filed class action lawsuits against WWE, both of which have been dismissed,” the company reportedly said, “A federal judge has already found that this lawyer made patently false allegations about WWE, and this is more of the same.”

With this suit, WWE becomes the latest professional sports organization being sued over head injuries, following the National Football League (NFL) and the National Hockey League (NHL).

Over 5,000 former NFL players sued the organization seeking damages for head injuries. The league settled the suit agreeing to pay the players $765 million to resolve the claims. The settlement was approved in April 2015 and upheld on appeal this year.

The NHL, meanwhile, is facing a lawsuit filed by retired players who accused the league of glorifying violence and failing to protect the players form repeated head injuries.