WWE News: Bret Hart suing doctors for malpractice and negligence claims
What's the story?
Bret Hart put his body on the line for the enjoyment of fans all over the world for decades and he is certainly feeling the toll of all that hard work. When Hart said he was "The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be" he meant it and continued to prove that fact during his outstanding career.
But at 60 years of age, Hart is facing some physical problems because he's only human. The Calgary Sun reports that Hart is taking a doctor and hospital to court for negligence over a 2015 surgery which left the WWE Hall Of Famer without the use of his right index finger.
In case you didn't know...
When you're a pro wrestler, you can accumulate a lot of injuries. Some of these painful problems might be something you can work through and others are more life-threatening.
It sounds like Bret Hart went in to have some bone shaved off his wrist in 2015 and things did not turn out the way The Hitman would have liked at all.
The heart of the matter
Court documents say that Hart went in to have surgery on November 23rd, 2015 with Dr. Justin Yeung at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary. This surgery was to repair some chipped bones on his wrist which were causing him problems.
All seemed to be going well until Hart returned six weeks later to have three pins taken out of his wrist when he was complaining of a lot of pain and the fact he couldn't use his thumb or index finger on his right hand.
His doctor told him to wait it out and see how the hand in question heals and things obviously didn't improve much seeing how it's the subject of a lawsuit today.
Hart's attorneys are claiming the doctor and hospital were negligent and are also alleging, “a tourniquet on Mr. Hart’s right arm on too long, such that the circulation of the nerves and tendons to his right thumb and index finger were damaged by a prolonged insufficient supply of oxygen.”
The lawsuit states that Bret Hart is unable to pick up a pen or use eating utensils which are two very important things to do. Not only is eating a necessity for any human being, but Bret Hart's ability to pick up a pen and sign autographs is a very useful extra source of income for The Hitman if he chooses to do autograph signings.
The lawsuit is seeking one million dollars plus an unspecified amount for loss of income along with other unspecified damages as well.
What's next?
This kind of problem for Bret Hart is a bad time indeed and he might have a case if he can prove it. This is especially difficult for Hart if he's unable to sign his own name to items at fan conventions now.
But moreover, Hart trusted his doctors to improve his wrist and received an unusable index finger in return. It sounds like his thumb got some mobility back, but an index finger is a very important digit as well.
Author's take
Hopefully, Bret Hart will get what he's seeking or at least both sides can leave the situation happy. But while some could see this as Hart in another bitter escapade, it really is a serious situation and I feel bad for him.
After all, nobody deserves to have their livelihood taken away due to malpractice. This is, of course, another wait and see situation, but for now, it looks like Bret Hart is very serious about seeking retribution for his loss.