CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
Pro Wrestling Torch
Pro Wrestling Torch Reaches The Most Wrestling Fans Every Week: #1 in iTunes • #1 on iPhone and iPad • #1 on Android • #1 on Kindle
GOT THE PWTORCH APP YET?
iPhone & iPad
Android
Amazon Kindle
Windows Phone
PWTorch Phone App
WWE News
WWE NEWS: WWE sued by family of Matt Osborne (Doink the Clown)

Jun 26, 2015 - 4:43:32 PM
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO BOOKMARK US & VISIT US DAILY


By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

The family of deceased wrestler Matt Osborne (Doink the Clown) filed suit against WWE in Dallas federal court on Friday.

Osborne's mother (corrected from widow), Michelle James, is listed as the plaintiff along with her two grandchildren, Matthew and Teagan Osborne, in the suit alleging negligence and fraud related to "mistreatment of Matthew Osborne which ultimately resulted in Matthew Osborne's wrongful death."

The suit does not list the amount of damages sought, but seeks a jury trial.

James alleges that WWE misled its crew of wrestlers, including Osborne, on the risks of wrestling and "took inadequate steps to correct the problem or to address its injurious conduct, the full consequences of which are still coming to light."

The suit alleges that Osborne experienced "traumatic brain injuries" that resulted in "depression and drug abuse, which ultimately resulted in his untimely death." Osborne died almost exactly two years ago on June 28, 2013 at the age of 57 following a reported drug overdose at his home in Plano (Dallas area), Texas.

One of the big contentions in the lawsuit is WWE's differing stances on the CTE head trauma disease, as it relates to affecting Osborne. The suit goes into the background and credibility of CTE research and says WWE has admitted in the past that "WWE wrestlers are at risk for concussions because of the nature of their work." WWE has also donated money to the Sports Legacy Institute for CTE research.

However, the suit notes that WWE's chief medical officer, Dr. Joseph Maroon, downplayed CTE during a TV interview in March 2015. "The problem of CTE, although real, is its being over-exaggerated," Dr. Maroon was quoted.

The conclusion alleged in the suit: "WWE and its medical personnel use their unique position of authority and superior knowledge to quell their wrestlers's, including Matthew Osborne's, fears regarding injuries and convince him it is safe to continue wrestling through concealment of necessary information, omission of pertinent medical information, and failures to properly assess, diagnose, and treat their wrestlers's, including Matthew Osborne's injuries, leading to Matthew Osborne's reliance to his detriment on WWE's allowance of his continuing to wrestle and perform after suffering symptoms of concussions and sub-conscious injuries and being allowed and encouraged to fight through the pain and continue wrestling despite having suffered concussions and sub-concussive injuries."

The Dallas Morning News reports that WWE has been reached for comment and lead attorney Jerry McDevitt will soon comment on the suit.

[ LINK: The full 72-page lawsuit can be found HERE reported by the Dallas Morning News ]


We suggest these recent related articles...
WWE NEWS: Superstars SPOILERS - Results from Chicago Raw
WWE NETWORK: Monday, Oct. 12 Schedule - Raw pre-show, Sting DVD preview
WWE NEWS: Lana & Rusev reportedly engaged - follow the interesting 2015 timeline
prowrestling.net
CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE PW.NET HEADLINES


CLICK TO EMAIL THIS ARTICLE
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING

NEW! SIGN UP FOR FREE PWTORCH BREAKING NEWS EMAIL ALERTS
BECOME A PWTORCH VIP MEMBER
-FORMER MEMBERS LOGIN HERE TO RENEW
-NEW MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
SELECT BY ARTICLES CATEGORY
SEARCH PWTORCH.COM



CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF UPCOMING PRO WRESTLING EVENTS
MORE HEADLINES AT AFFILIATE SITES
MMATorch
LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR MORE MMATORCH HEADLINES



LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE INC HEADLINES

_
LATEST FREE AUDIO SHOWS - CLICK TO LISTEN VIEW MORE PWTORCH LIVECAST EPISODES
DOWNLOAD PWTORCH LIVECAST APP
SUBSCRIBE TO PWTORCH LIVECAST IN ITUNES


ABOUT US

THE TORCH REACHES MORE COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT FANS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

PWTorch editor Wade Keller has covered pro wrestling full time since 1987 starting with the Pro Wrestling Torch print newsletter. PWTorch.com launched in 1999 and the PWTorch Apps launched in 2008.

He has conducted "Torch Talk" insider interviews with Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, Jesse Ventura, Lou Thesz, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Bruno Sammartino, Goldberg, more.

He has interviewed big-name players in person incluiding Vince McMahon (at WWE Headquarters), Dana White (in Las Vegas), Eric Bischoff (at the first Nitro at Mall of America), Brock Lesnar (after his first UFC win).

He hosted the weekly Pro Wrestling Focus radio show on KFAN in the early 1990s and hosted the Ultimate Insiders DVD series distributed in retail stories internationally in the mid-2000s including interviews filmed in Los Angeles with Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara and Matt & Jeff Hardy. He currently hosts the most listened to pro wrestling audio show in the world, (the PWTorch Livecast, top ranked in iTunes)


REACHING 1 MILLION+ UNIQUE USERS PER MONTH
500 MILLION CLICKS & LISTENS PER YEAR
MILLIONS OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTERS SOLD
PWTORCH STAFF

EDITORS:
Wade Keller, editor
(kellerwade@gmail.com)

James Caldwell, assistant editor
(pwtorch@gmail.com)

STAFF COLUMNISTS:
Bruce Mitchell (since 1990)
Pat McNeill (since 2001)
Greg Parks (since 2007)
Sean Radican (since 2003)

We also have a great team of
TV Reporters
and Specialists and Artists.

PWTORCH VIP MEMBERSHIP

PWTorch offers a VIP membership for $10 a month (or less with an annual sub). It includes nearly 25 years worth of archives from our coverage of pro wrestling dating back to PWTorch Newsletters from the late-'80s filled with insider secrets from every era that are available to VIPers in digital PDF format and Keller's radio show from the early 1990s.

Also, new exclusive top-shelf content every day including a new VIP-exclusive weekly 16 page digital magazine-style (PC and iPad compatible) PDF newsletter packed with exclusive articles and news.

The following features come with a VIP membership which tens of thousands of fans worldwide have enjoyed for many years...

-New Digital PWTorch Newsletter every week
-3 New Digital PDF Back Issues from 5, 10, 20 years ago
-Over 60 new VIP Audio Shows each week
-Ad-free access to all PWTorch.com free articles
-VIP Forum access with daily interaction with PWTorch staff and well-informed fellow wrestling fans
-Tons of archived audio and text articles
-Decades of Torch Talk insider interviews in transcript and audio formats with big name stars.


**SIGN UP FOR VIP ACCESS HERE**

CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCASTIPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
VIP SIGN-UP
VIP LOGIN
THE TORCH: #1 IN COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE | © 1999-2013 TDH Communications Inc. • All rights reserved -- PRIVACY POLICY