(Posted by Christopher Murray on June 11, 1999 at exactlly 12:43:23 Eastern)
The Hart Family Set To Sue The WWF On Tuesday
According to published reports in the Toronto Sun, the Hart family is set to sue the World Wrestling Federation over the death of beloved family member Owen Hart at the WWF Over The Edge pay-per-view back on Sunday, May 23, 1999. According to the report, Martha Hart (Owen's widow), Bret Hart (Owen's brother), and Stu and Helen Hart (Owen's parents) are flying to Kansas City, MO this weekend to meet with lawyers. The Hart family has reportedly hired four lawyers in Calgary and Kansas City to help them prepare for the wrongful death lawsuit against the World Wrestling Federation. One of the Harts' lawyers, Pamela Fischer of Pipella and Co., told the Toronto Sun that a worldwide press conference has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 15, 1999 in Kansas City where the Harts are expected to announce a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the World Wrestling Federation. This information comes on the heels of a Kansas City police criminal investigation launched earlier this week into the death of Owen Hart at the WWF pay-per-view in Kansas City. The Kansas City police are looking as to whether the specialists hired by the WWF to oversee the stunt were using proper equipment, whether they correctly used it, and whether Owen Hart was properly trained to perform the stunt. Police Major Gregory Mills is heading up the investigation and recently met with Martha and Bret Hart. In order to lay criminal charges, the police would have to present enough evidence of criminal wrongdoing and that evidence would have to point to one person. If someone were to be charged following the investigation, the charges would likely be involuntary manslaughter and would carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
When contacted by the Toronto Sun regarding the impending lawsuit, World Wrestling Federation Owner Vince McMahon stated, "I don't know anything about it." McMahon refused to delve any further into the reports. McMahon remarked, "I'm not going to engage Martha - it's such a sensitive subject."
There will be plenty more to report on this story in the days ahead.
Hart Family to Sue WWF?
or
The Unwrapped Undertaker
