The wrongful death lawsuit involving former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been dismissed and the case is now closed. According to attorney Rick Ellsley, representing Haskins’ wife Kalabrya, the case has been settled and a dismissal has been filed.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared the news Thursday morning.
The details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Haskins was killed in April 2022 after being hit by a dump truck while attempting to cross a Fort Lauderdale highway after his car reportedly ran out of gas. He had just finished a training session with Steelers teammates and was headed back to Pittsburgh. Haskins was 24.
The suit was originally filed on April 10, 2023, one year after Dwayne Haskins’ death, suing multiple parties.
“The filing of this lawsuit is an important step in the process of uncovering the complete truth about the tragedy. The civil justice system allows for subpoenas to be issued for critical documents and sworn testimony to be taken of people who have knowledge about the events leading up to Dwayne’s death,” the statement accompanying the suit partially read.
At the time, our Joe Clark outlined some of the suit’s allegations.
The lawsuit, filed by Rich Ellsley of the Ellsley Law Firm, alleges that Haskins was hit by the front left of the dump truck (which differed from the driver’s account of events) and that the truck had numerous mechanical problems while also traveling above the speed limit. It also alleges that numerous other drivers were able to avoid Haskins, raising questions about why the dump truck wasn’t. The suit claims that the driver told police he saw Haskins “ahead of his vehicle” in the center lane.
It also alleges that taillights, brake lights and hazards illuminated Haskins in the roadway despite his being struck in the early morning when it would’ve typically been dark. The suit also alleges that the driver of the dump truck wouldn’t provide a blood sample at the scene to police and has yet to provide any alcohol test results. The driver’s cell phone records have also yet to be disclosed, per the suit.
In August 2023, the suit reached settlements with the truck driver who hit Haskins, the truck owner, and the truck broker. The suit continued against “multiple other defendants.”
Now, the rest of the case has been settled.
Haskins was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He started 13 games before being released by the team in December 2020. One month later, he signed a deal with the Steelers. Haskins made the team and spent the 2021 season as Pittsburgh’s No. 3 quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph. He did not appear in a game but flashed in the preseason, throwing for 378 yards and two touchdowns.
With Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, Haskins was expected to have the opportunity to compete for a more prominent role on the depth chart before his death.
