Red Bull GmbH must continue defending a lawsuit alleging liability for injuries sustained by a Pittsburgh television reporter during a 2017 promotional stunt connected to the company’s “Flugtag” event, after a Pennsylvania state judge rejected the company’s request for summary judgment.

The ruling was issued by Judge Arnold Klein of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, allowing the case filed by former KDKA-TV reporter Dave Crawley to proceed toward trial. The judge concluded that material factual disputes remained regarding whether Crawley knowingly accepted the risks associated with participating in the stunt.

The lawsuit stems from injuries Crawley suffered while filming a news segment covering the Three Rivers Regatta’s Flugtag preview event in Pittsburgh. Crawley alleges he was pressured into riding a “flying contraption” off a ramp into the Allegheny River, where he landed awkwardly and suffered head and spleen injuries.

Red Bull had sought dismissal of the case by arguing that Crawley signed a waiver acknowledging and accepting all risks of serious injury or death before participating in the stunt.

The company contended that Pennsylvania law generally supports enforcement of exculpatory agreements in inherently dangerous sporting or recreational activities. Red Bull further argued that Crawley was aware of the risks, had conducted research on prior Flugtag jumps, and voluntarily chose to participate.

Crawley’s legal team disputed those claims, arguing the waiver violated public policy because it would also prevent his workers’ compensation insurer from pursuing reimbursement for medical expenses already paid on his behalf.

Crawley’s brief noted that allowing private contracts to eliminate third-party recovery rights would undermine statutory protections intended to preserve public safety and insurance recovery mechanisms.

The complaint also alleges that Crawley was not given adequate time to review the media participation agreement, which contained risk warnings written in capital letters stating that participants “assume all risks of personal injury or death.”

According to court filings, the warning language was embedded within broader contractual provisions related to media rights and was delivered shortly before the stunt, limiting the opportunity for independent legal review.

Crawley further argued that promotional activities surrounding the Flugtag event, including earlier news segments and marketing partnerships involving the television station and event organizers, created professional pressure that made it difficult for him to withdraw from participation.

His filings stated that by the time he arrived at the site and noticed the substitute contraption provided by organizers, he felt compelled to continue due to career concerns and employer expectations.

Crawley’s opposition brief also cited deposition testimony and investigative findings suggesting that multiple participants had previously suffered injuries during Flugtag events.

The filing alleged that records of some injuries were not publicly maintained, arguing this could indicate insufficient disclosure of risks associated with the stunt. The brief claimed that injuries linked to the event ranged from minor trauma such as chipped teeth to severe injuries including broken backs.

Crawley is represented by attorneys from Pribanic & Pribanic LLC. Red Bull is represented by counsel from Chartwell Law.

The court has scheduled the matter for trial in September, according to the case docket. The lawsuit is captioned Crawley et al. v. Red Bull et al., filed in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas under case number GD-19-009994.

Red Bull’s legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the ruling. The plaintiff’s attorneys said the decision represents an important step toward establishing potential corporate accountability in the case.

The Flugtag event is a promotional competition where participants attempt to launch homemade flying devices from a ramp into water, often as part of marketing campaigns for energy drink brands. Crawley’s lawsuit claims the company and event organizers failed to adequately communicate safety risks and that the specific contraption used during his jump was changed shortly before participation.

The litigation will now move forward unless the parties reach a settlement or further pretrial motions alter the case’s trajectory.