Ronnie Hill, whose vehicle was struck by Ezekiel Elliott, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the running back and the Dallas Cowboys.
The car accident occurred in January 2017 when Elliott ran a red light and hit Hill’s vehicle.
According to the lawsuit, the Cowboys worked with the police “to cover up the severity of the accident to assure that Elliott’s health would not be placed in question before their playoff game.”
This isn’t the second complaint Hill filed about the accident. Last year, he filed a lawsuit seeking in excess of $1 million that only listed Elliott as the defendant. The amended lawsuit also includes the Dallas Cowboys as a defendant.
Dallas-based attorney Chip Brooker, who is not involved in the case, said that adding the Cowboys as a defendant falls into a gray area of the law because the state’s statute of limitations is two years for injury cases.
“Mr. Hill has much more of an uphill battle for a new claim against a new party that was not in the lawsuit previously,” Brooker said. “It’s a long shot that he’d be able to keep the Cowboys in this case all the way through a jury trial.”
Brooker added that Hill would also have difficulty seeking damages against the Cowboys if it’s discovered that the team didn’t own the SUV at the time.
“The devil is in the details,” Brooker said. “Can Mr. Hill get discovery in terms of getting title or insurance documents related to the ownership of the vehicle? It may reveal something we don’t know right now.”
Hill’s lawyer, Larry Friedman, said that Hill still suffers from neurological issues from the accident.
“Ezekiel Elliott believes he’s above the law. He doesn’t follow any rules. As a citizen and a member of our community he has a duty to obey the law and act responsibly, especially while driving a motor vehicle,” Friedman said.
For information about personal injury claims, visit Cohen & Cohen, P.C.
