Dwayne Haskins's estate settles portion of legal claims for his death
The estate of Dwayne Haskins settled a portion of the claims arising from his death in 2022.
Via the Associated Press, the lawyer representing Haskins's estate said in a release that settlements have been negotiated with various defendants. Ten still remain in the case.
The lawsuit claims that Haskins was drugged, robbed, and extorted before being struck by a dump truck while standing on a highway in South Florida. Haskins allegedly was drugged and robbed by a man and three women.
The allegations include a contention that the dump truck was speeding, driving carelessly, and above the weight limit, that the truck Haskins rented had a defect that caused it to run out of gas, that the state highway department didn't properly maintain and light the road, that the state failed to post a lower speed limit for construction, and that a temporary sign blocked visibility.
The Associated Press has decided to not name any of the individuals and businesses that the Haskins estate has sued "because no criminal charges have been filed against any of them and there is nothing yet filed in court substantiating any of the claims." That's an odd exercise of journalistic discretion; court records are inherently public. Players don't get a pass when they are sued. Why should the individuals and businesses a player dues receive anonymity when their names are plainly listed in public records?
If unsubstantiated claims are being made against individuals who have been accused frivolously of causing or contributing to Haskins's death, they have remedies within the legal system. Picking and choosing which defendants to civil litigation will or won't be named in reporting seems to be a very slippery slope.
Haskins played college football at Ohio State. He was a first-round draft pick of the Commanders in 2019. He later signed with the Steelers.
