The family of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan have taken the first procedural step toward a possible medical malpractice lawsuit following his death earlier this summer.
According to a filing reviewed by POST Wrestling, Hogan’s widow Melanie Sky Daily, his son Nick Bollea, and financial adviser Terry McCoy—acting on behalf of his estate—submitted a petition in Pinellas County Court last week seeking a 90-day extension under Florida’s statute of limitations. The filing gives the family additional time to investigate potential malpractice claims before deciding whether to formally sue.
No lawsuit has been filed yet, and therefore, no defendants have been named. However, the petition lists several potential parties for review, including Tampa General Hospital, Morton Plant Hospital, two Florida-based doctors, and “any and all other applicable health care providers.”
Daily reportedly believes Hogan’s phrenic nerve—which helps control breathing—was “compromised” during a neck surgery he underwent in May 2025. She has said she believes complications from that procedure contributed to her husband’s death at age 71. Clearwater Police confirmed in August that Hogan’s death remains under investigation, though no foul play or suspicious circumstances are suspected.
According to USA Today, Hogan was found unresponsive at his Clearwater Beach home on July 24 and later pronounced dead at Morton Plant Hospital. Daily has since ordered a private autopsy to aid in her investigation into possible negligence.
Under Florida law, medical malpractice actions must be filed within two years of the alleged incident or its discovery—and no more than four years after the act itself. The estate’s 90-day petition temporarily pauses that statutory deadline, a step that legal experts note is routine in similar cases where additional time is needed to collect records or consult with medical experts.
Attorneys representing the Bollea family declined to comment on the filing. Notably, this isn’t the first time Hogan’s name has been attached to a malpractice matter—he previously filed a lawsuit in 2013 related to another spinal procedure, which was settled out of court in 2015.
Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest names in the history of professional wrestling, real name Terry Bollea, died on July 24 at age 71 at a hospital after paramedics and police rushed to his beachfront home in Clearwater following a 911 call.
(H/T: Brandon Thurston & POST Wrestling)
