Nashville referee 'clotheslined' in Hunters Lane football game gets six figure settlement
A referee who was "clotheslined" during a Nashville high school football game is receiving a six-figure settlement from the city.
Trae Cardwell, who said he was hospitalized for four days with an injured trachea after he collided with Hunters Lane coach William Thomas' arm while running down the sideline during a game against Maplewood High School last August, is dropping his lawsuit after reaching a $122,500 settlement, an employee with Metro Legal confirmed to The Tennessean.
Cardwell sued Thomas and Metro Nashville in May, alleging that Thomas was negligently standing outside the coaches box when Cardwell collided with him and that Metro, as Thomas' employer, was also liable. U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson dropped Thomas from the lawsuit in August, writing that he "has little difficulty concluding that the interests of justice support" doing so.
Cardwell didn't specify how much money he was seeking in his lawsuit other than that it was more than $75,000, which his attorney Thomas Kerrick of Bowling Green, Kentucky, said would cover medical costs, lost wages and compensation for mental suffering.
The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education approved the settlement without discussion during its Nov. 14 meeting.
Richardson dismissed the lawsuit on Thursday after Metro Legal informed him they had reached an agreement with Cardwell.
The Tennessean was unable to immediately reach Cardwell or Kerrick for comment on Friday. Assistant Metro Attorney Melissa Roberge said Friday morning that the settlement was a positive outcome for the city.
Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville ref 'clotheslined' in high school football game gets $123K
