Pro wrestling legend Hulk "Hollywood" Hogan has sued the Laser Spine Institute in Florida, saying the clinic did unnecessary surgeries that damaged his career.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that Hogan filed a lawsuit Monday and is seeking an estimated $50 million.
Hogan went to the Institute in 2009 to get treatment for scoliosis and bulging discs but the operations he received left him feeling worse than before having the procedure done, according to the wrestler. The allegedly botched surgeries caused Hogan to miss several employment opportunities in wrestling and acting that would have earned him at least $50 million, according to the wrestler.
His popularity as a wrestler led to several TV and film roles, including his own reality TV show, Hogan Knows Best, and a number of lucrative advertising endorsements.
In addition to claiming unnecessary surgeries, the lawsuit also says the Laser Spine Institute used an endorsement from Hogan without permission or payment.
Hogan became aware of the potential for a lawsuit after reading a Bloomberg report in 2011 that cited many other lawsuits against Laser Spine Institute and other spine injury doctors.
Hogan's lawyers said "numerous prominent spine surgeons" had recommended traditional spinal surgery, but doctors at the institute insisted that this would effectively end his career.
They claim Hogan was "the victim of multiple unnecessary endoscopic surgical procedures that further destabilised his already existing injured back".
The institute released this statement saying, "To protect patient privacy as well as the legal process, we do not discuss the details of litigation matters."
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