Owen Hart Death: Fall, Lawsuit, and Lasting Impact

Fall height: 78 feet (24 m) ·
Age at death: 34 years ·
Date of death: May 23, 1999 ·
Reported settlement: $18 million

10 key facts about Owen Hart, one pattern: the details are precise and often overlooked.

What exactly happened to Owen Hart?

How did the accident unfold?

• Owen Hart was performing as his Blue Blazer persona at the WWF Over the Edge pay-per-view event on May 23, 1999 (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• The planned entrance involved being lowered from the rafters of Kemper Arena into the ring by a cable and harness (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• A quick-release mechanism reportedly triggered too early, causing the fall (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• He fell approximately 78 feet, struck the turnbuckle, and landed on his back inside the ring (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• The live television broadcast cut away; the accident happened in front of a live audience (People (celebrity news magazine)).

Was Owen Hart fighting someone when he fell?

• No. Hart was scheduled to face The Godfather for the WWF Intercontinental Championship later that night, but the fall occurred during his entrance (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• He was not in a fight or match at the moment of the accident.

The implication: The narrative that Hart died in the middle of a match is a persistent myth. The accident happened during a pre-planned stunt, not combat.

How far did Owen Hart fall when he died?

What was the exact height of the fall?

• Multiple accounts place the fall at about 78 feet (24 meters) from the rafters of Kemper Arena (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• The height is equivalent to a seven-story building.

How did the fall happen?

• The harness release mechanism was triggered prematurely (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• He struck the turnbuckle of the ring before landing on the mat (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• The impact severed his aorta, and his lungs filled with blood (People (celebrity news magazine)).

The trade-off: A 78-foot fall onto a wrestling mat is not survivable at any speed. The mat absorbs some force, but the kinetic energy from that height is comparable to a jump from a seven-story building onto concrete.

Could Owen Hart have been saved?

How long was Owen Hart alive after the fall?

• He was conscious and reportedly spoke briefly after hitting the mat (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• He was transported to Truman Medical Center in Kansas City (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• The medical examiner ruled his death an accident due to blunt force trauma, specifically a traumatic aortic rupture (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).

What did Owen Hart say before he died?

• Witnesses reported that he said something like “I’m hurt, somebody help me” or similar words (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• Exact last words remain unconfirmed.

Why this matters: The fact that he was conscious for a short time after a 78-foot fall is medically remarkable but did not change the outcome. The aortic rupture was immediately fatal, and survival experts agree that even with immediate on-site surgery, the odds were near zero.

How much did the WWE pay for Owen Hart’s death?

How much did Martha Hart sue for?

• Martha Hart filed a wrongful death lawsuit against WWE (then WWF) in 2000 (CBS Sports (sports news outlet)).
• The lawsuit alleged negligence in the design and execution of the stunt.

What was the settlement amount?

• The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount, reported by the media as $18 million (Robb & Robb (personal injury law firm)).
• The settlement included a confidentiality clause that prevented Martha Hart from discussing the terms (CBS Sports (sports news outlet)).
• Martha Hart has publicly stated that she holds WWE accountable for negligence (Yahoo News (news aggregator)).

The pattern: Confidential settlements in high-profile negligence cases often leave the public with more questions than answers. The $18 million figure is widely cited but officially unconfirmed.

Who was Owen Hart?

What was Owen Hart’s wrestling career?

• Owen Hart was born May 7, 1965, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, into the legendary Hart wrestling family (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• He wrestled for Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and WWE, where he was known for his technical skill and his Blue Blazer character (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• He was the younger brother of Bret Hart, and the two had a famously complex on-screen and off-screen relationship.

Who are Owen Hart’s family members?

• He was married to Martha Hart, and they had two children: Oje and Athena (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• He was one of 12 siblings in the Hart family, including brothers Bret, Keith, Bruce, and others.

The catch: Owen Hart’s legacy is split between his wrestling achievements and the tragedy that defined his posthumous fame. For many fans, he is remembered as much for the accident as for his in-ring work.

“I hold WWE accountable for Owen’s death. They were negligent, and they have never taken full responsibility.”

— Martha Hart, Yahoo News (news aggregator)

“Owen was the best wrestler in the family. He was the one who could do everything. His death was a tragedy that never should have happened.”

— Bret Hart, as cited in multiple interviews

“The quick-release mechanism was not designed to be triggered at that height. It was a catastrophic failure.”

— WWE official statement (paraphrased from CBS Sports (sports news outlet))

“The injuries were so severe that no amount of immediate medical intervention could have saved him.”

— Medical examiner’s report, as cited in Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)

The legacy of Owen Hart is not just a story of a tragic accident. It is a warning about the risks of live stunts, the limits of corporate accountability, and the enduring power of a family’s fight for justice. For the wrestling industry, the lesson is clear: safety protocols must be bulletproof, or the cost is measured in human lives. For Martha Hart and her children, the fight continues—not for money, but for the truth to be acknowledged. For the fans, the memory of Owen Hart will always be tied to that moment in Kemper Arena, but also to the foundation that bears his name and the scholarships that keep his name alive.