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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.