According to PWInsider, a lawsuit was filed last month in Texas over an alleged injury that took place at Wrestlemania 38 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
The report notes Marvin Jackson filed a lawsuit against WWE on January 12, 2022 before the District Court of Tarrant County, Texas alleging he lost hearing in his left ear while an “invitee” to Wrestlemania 38 due to a pyrotechnics blast that occurred as part of the WWE production.
PWInsider states the lawsuit is accusing WWE of Negligence, Gross Negligence and Strict Liability and claims WWE knew of the risk involved in using the pyrotechnics and that he was injured due to the “objective, extreme risk that Defendant was subjectively aware of yet disregarded for cosmetic effect and pecuniary gain.”
Jackson is reportedly requesting a jury trial and seeking monetary relief of more than $1,000,000, including damages of any kind, penalties, costs, expenses, prejudgment interest, and attorney’s fees.
It is said that WWE filed a request on February 17, 2023 to have the lawsuit moved to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division. As of this writing, a ruling on that matter has not yet been made.
The report from PWInsider concluded by noting WWE has not responded to the allegations in the lawsuit.
Per PWInsider, Jackson’s lawsuit alleges the following:
“On or about April 3, 2022, Plaintiff attended WrestleMania 38 which was hosted by Defendant and located at AT&T Stadium, 1 AT&T Way, Arlington, Texas 76011.
Plaintiff was an invitee on the premises. Defendant was the occupier of the premises.
Plaintiff was seated next to the stage at the venue. When performance began, pyrotechnics went off. The blast from the pyrotechnics was so loud that it caused Plaintiff to
lose almost all hearing in his left ear.
No facts suggest that anything Plaintiff did or failed to do in any way caused or contributed to the incident or resulting damages.
Defendant failed to notify anyone or place any warnings to warn of the existence of the dangers associated with pyrotechnics.
As a result of the incident, Plaintiff suffered serious injuries.”
Per PWInsider,in regard to WWE’s liability, Jackson’s lawsuit claims:
“Defendant is strictly liable for Plaintiff’s injuries arising from the pyrotechnic display because the use of pyrotechnics indoors constitutes an “abnormally dangerous activity” for the purposes of the common law rule that a party carrying on an abnormally dangerous activity is strictly liable for the damages caused thereby.
Due to the proximity of the pyrotechnics to the invitees, the indoor nature of the display, and the inherent danger of pyrotechnics, the degree of risk of harm to invitees was particularly high at WrestleMania 38. The likelihood of harm associated with those risks was commensurate with the risk. Though Defendant’s lack of reasonable care caused Plaintiff’s injury, Plaintiff asserts that no amount of reasonable care could eliminate risk that accompanies use of indoor pyrotechnics. The damage stemming from loud blasts from pyrotechnics was exacerbated by the closed atmosphere of an indoor facility like AT&T Stadium. The harm arose from the loud sound produced by the pyrotechnic blast.
While the use of pyrotechnic displays is commonplace on holidays at outdoor events, the use of deafening pyrotechnics in indoor facilities with echoing effects is an irregular practice and should not be considered a matter of common usage.
Moreover, the relative value of indoor pyrotechnic displays is marginal compared to the inherent risk it puts on crowded audiences in indoor facilities. The potential for harm by burns or deafening noise cannot be outweighed by the cosmetic effects of indoor pyrotechnics.”