One player on the New York Jets might be out a ton of money after a lawsuit was filed.
According to Anthony G. Attrino of NJ Advance Media, a man from Livingston, New Jersey, has filed a complaint in the Superior Court of Morris County against the New York Jets, cornerback Brandin Echols, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, among other parties, in connection with an automobile accident that occurred in April 2022.
On top of that news is the man stating he became “partially paralyzed” after the New York Jets cornerback lost control of his car at 84 mph.
On the day of the collision, Echols was driving his 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in Florham Park, New Jersey, on the Columbia Turnpike at 84 mph in a 50 mph zone when it collided with Stephen J. Gilberg’s BMW, according to the police.
The New Jersey Herald‘s Lori Comstock reports that Echols was accused of fourth-degree assault by a vehicle by Florham Park police. Furthermore, he “was issued motor vehicle summonses for reckless driving, speeding, unsafe lane change, improper passing, and failure to wear a seatbelt after the accident.”
During a February 2023 hearing, the New York Jets defensive back was accepted into a three-year pretrial intervention (PTI) program as his charges will be dismissed upon his completion of the program. He must also pay Gilbert $1,200 per month in “restitution” until that figure hits $54,460.
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Gilberg was taken to Morristown Medical Center, where he underwent rehabilitation after the first of two major spinal cord procedures. Medical experts have stated that he might never fully recover his pre-accident state of health, and his medical expenses have already approached $1 million.
“While I’ve made certain strides physically, such as learning to walk again albeit not in the same way I used to, it’s the nerve damage and the pain you don’t see,” Gilberg said during the hearing. “The physical things I will never be able to do and the psychological trauma I am living with every single day that will continue to impact the rest of my life.”
When it comes to the New York Jets placement in the lawsuit, Attrino’s retelling of the document reads: “New York Jets LLC did not exercise reasonable care in hiring defendant, Echols, as one of its players in that they failed to conduct the proper motor vehicle and/or criminal history checks and/or reference checks.”
The lawsuit also claims the state’s DOT was “negligent in the design and installment of curbs and guardrails along the crash site.”
New York Jets CB Brandin Echols Had Solid 2023 Season
Brandin Echols, a Kentucky player and sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft, inked a four-year, $3.6 million contract with the Jets. He made 14 appearances, racked up 18 tackles, and had one interception return for a touchdown in 2023.
After starting his rookie season as a cornerback, the Kentucky product selected in the sixth round of the 2021 draft has spent the last two seasons primarily playing on special teams.
