Why are the Jets being sued? Brandin Echols' 2022 high-speed car crash comes back to haunt franchise
The New York Jets are being sued alongside their cornerback, Brandin Echols for a 2022 car crash by the player. The victim, Stephen J. Gilberg, and his wife are suing the NFL franchise for the car crash that left him severely injured.
On April 26, 2022, Echols crashed his 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat against Gilbert’s BMW X5. The CB allegedly drove at 84 mph in a 50 mph zone on County Road 510, New Jersey when the crash occurred. Now the victim and his wife want punitive damages from the player and the franchise.
The victims allege in their suit that the Jets shouldn’t have signed Echols to their roster owing to his history of reckless driving that could endanger other motorists in the New Jersey area. For the Jets, the suit filed last Friday alleges:
“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.”
Apart from suing the Jets and Echols, the couple is also suing the New Jersey Department of Transportation for not exercising proper care in withholding the driving license of the accused Echoles as per the suit. The couple is also suing other entities for not maintaining proper care and vigilance.
According to NJ.com, spokespersons for the Jets and Echols have refused to comment on this issue. But they will have to respond to the court's notice regarding the suit.
Aftermath of the crash involving Brandin Echols
After the crash, Echols was charged with multiple violations, including speeding and reckless driving. During court proceedings in 2023, Echols entered a pretrial intervention program for three years, as per The Daily Record.
The Jets suspended Echols for the first game of the season as well but they allowed him to play throughout the rest of the season.
According to the lawsuit, victim Gilberg suffered serious injuries, was hospitalized for an extended period of time, and continues to require medical care, attention, and therapy even after being discharged.