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Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell, presiding over the lawsuit filed by Jackson Parsons in Florida Middle District Court against World Wrestling Entertainment, approved a motion filed by WWE to extend a deadline for the two sides to conduct mediation by an additional 150 days on 1/3.
WWE had filed the motion on 12/31/21, advising the court, "While the parties originally agreed to conduct mediation by this date, a number of unforeseen events served to disrupt this plan. The parties’ discovery deadline is currently set for July 1, 2022, with trial scheduled during the January 2023 term. On this basis, World Wrestling respectfully requests that the parties’ mediation deadline be extended to June 1, 2022, to afford the parties more time to conduct meaningful discovery and conduct more liability depositions in advance of mediation."
The court filing noted a delay in requested medical records as well as a family emergency have led to the discovery process not being completed by the end of 2021 and that Parsons was only deposed for several hours.
Parsons, who filed the lawsuit in June 2021, alleged that on 7/22/19 in Tampa, a van rented by WWE was being driven by a WWE employee, Gaitan Thomas, "who was on the job at the time," The van was involved in a motor vehicle accident with Parsons, who was riding a bicycle at the time. Thomas works as a props expert for WWE. WWE legal filings in the case have described Thomas as "an independent contractor engaged" by the company.
As a result of the incident, Parson has claimed he "suffered physical injuries, pain-and-suffering, disability and the inability and loss of the capacity to lead and enjoy normal life, inconvenience, disfigurement, scarring and mental anguish.” In his filing, he claimed he will be dealing with permanent issues due to the accident, citing he “suffered physical injuries, pain-and-suffering, disability and the inability and loss of the capacity to lead and enjoy a normal life, inconvenience, disfigurement, scarring and mental anguish,” and further asserts that his injuries and suffering are permanent, that he has incurred past medical expenses and will incur future medical expenses on account of the motor vehicle accident, and that he has also suffered “a loss of earnings and earning capacity, both in the past and in the future."
In his lawsuit filing, Parsons stated that he has lost the quality of life that he moved to Florida in order to seek and noted past medical expenses stemming from the accident are already in the amount of $171,430.38. He cited a loss of earnings, past and future, estimated at $75,036.00–$100,048.00 and projected his future medical expenses in the amount of $314,850.00. The lawsuit also seeks $76,500.00 for Parsons' Pain and suffering, mental anguish and inconvenience as well as $401,500 for future pain and suffering. Court filings stated that in December 2020, Parsons demanded a settlement demand, in writing, in the amount of $1,064,328.38.
The two sides have been going back and forth before the court over the matter in recent months. On 1/3, the court extended their mediation deadline to 6/2 after WWE asked for the extension. The two sides had been previously informed they needed to finalize discovery by April 2022 and unless a settlement comes about, be prepared to go to trial on or around February 2023. So, this would give the two sides five additional months to mediate the issues.
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