A professional football player best known for aggressively intimidating the offense on the field has been sued for allegedly intimidating a passenger in his vehicle. Ndamukong Suh, a graduate of Grant High School in Portland, Oregon, was in his hometown in December when he was the driver in a one-vehicle car accident. One of his passengers alleges that she sustained injuries in the accident, but Suh refused emergency treatment for her and later allegedly offered her money.
Suh, who is now a defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions, was driving south on Northwest Third Avenue in Portland when he lost control of his vehicle. The car struck a light pole, a tree and a water fountain. Suh told police that an animal had run across the street and he had swerved to avoid hitting it. He allegedly had been drinking alcohol but less than the legal limit.
The passenger filed suit in July, claiming that Suh intimidated her verbally and physically and told 911 dispatchers that no one had been injured in the accident. The passenger alleges that she actually had injuries to her neck, back and shoulders and her complaint alleges that she has medical bills to back up her claims. She says that her husband had to come to the accident scene to take her to the hospital. She also alleges that Suh came to her house the next day and offered her $700 in lieu of suing him for her injuries.
The lawsuit charges Suh with negligence. The plaintiff is asking for reimbursement of over $4,000 in medical bills and $2,500 in damages for lost wages. In addition, she is suing Suh for $500,000 in non-economic damages and an additional $500,000 for severe emotional distress.
Celebrity defendants often bring an interesting dynamic to the courtroom, due mostly to human nature. If this car accident case goes to trial, will there be sympathy for the Oregon hometown hero or will he be held to a higher standard due to negative publicity he has generated? In either case, compensation claims for injuries sustained in a car accident due to the negligence of another deserve to be carefully considered in accordance with personal injury law in our state.
Source: Oregon Live, “NFL’s Ndamukong Suh sued for $1 million by passenger in car he crashed last December,” Stuart Tomlinson, July 26, 2012
