Nearly 18 months after her husband Owen plunged to his death in 1999, Martha Hart has come to terms with World Wrestling Federation Entertainment on a wrongful death settlement. Confirmed chief Canadian counsel Pam Fischer of Pipella & Co., “The WWFE and the Harts have come to an amicable agreement satisfactory to both parties…The WWFE will continue the case against the entities which manufactured and sold the stunt equipment. We are now awaiting court approval in Missouri to finalize the agreement.”
Under the settlement agreement, Martha said she isn’t allowed to divulge the dollar figure on which she settled. However, it has been speculated in the press that it’s value will be well over $10 million. Martha Hart has long maintained that above the cash settlement rewarded to her and her family, she simply wanted the WWE to admit it was negligent in overseeing the stunt.
Owen died May 23, 1999, during a wrestling pay-per-view event in Kansas City, when he fell about 24 metres as he was about to be lowered from the roof of Kemper Arena.
Additional details about this law suit, and the legal involvement of Pipella & Co., can be found in the book Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart. Read excerpt.