Back in May 2024, LaMelo Ball was sued for allegedly hitting a child with his car following an event held by the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center in October 2023.
According to WCNC Charlotte, Ball is facing a $3.75 million lawsuit that would be going to trial in the week of June 15. The child, who was allegedly hit by Ball, suffered severe injuries, while the plaintiff endured financial and emotional distress.
Ball has since denied the allegations, while his legal team has asked a judge to divide the trial into two phases. The first phase will be to determine liability, and the second determines compensatory and punitive damages.
The Hornets were initially part of the lawsuit, but a judge has dismissed them from the case.
Initial Lawsuit Was For $50,000
When the lawsuit was filed back in May 2024, the mother of the alleged injured child was seeking $25,000 each for her and her son, for a total of $50,000.
However, the plaintiff amended it to $3.75 million, according to The Charlotte Observer.
The mother now alleges that her child is now suffering from complex regional pain syndrome, which she called “debilitating.”
Back in April, a judge ordered Ball and his legal counsel to stop canceling interviews and depositions, which reportedly cost the plaintiff around $21,000.
Ball is represented by Christi Hunoval and Erin Young.
Details of Alleged Incident
According to CNN, the incident happened at the Spectrum Center on October 7, 2023. The Charlotte Hornets held “Purple and Teal Day,” which was a free event for their fans.
The mother and her son attended the event. They waited for players, mainly LaMelo Ball, outside the employee’s entrance in hopes of getting an autograph.
Ball’s care allegedly stopped at a traffic light near the entrance, so fans moved to his vehicle to see him. But when the light turned green, the Hornets star allegedly sped up, which caused the injury.
While Ball is innocent until proven guilty for the incident, he has a documented history of reckless driving. A fan uploaded a compilation of Ball’s reckless driving on social media. He was most recently involved in a collision back in February.
His teammate, Moussa Diabate, is not even willing to ride in a car with Ball as a driver during an appearance on The Zach Lowe Show.
LaMelo Ball This Season
It was a down season for LaMelo Ball in terms of stats, averaging 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. It was Ball’s lowest scoring averaging since his sophomore season.
However, it was also Ball’s most impactful season as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. They looked like a legitimate playoff contender once the calendar flipped to 2026.
The Hornets had a stellar 33-16 record since January 1, which was the sixth-best in the NBA, just behind teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. They were even ahead of the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
Unfortunately, the Hornets fell short in the NBA Play-In Tournament, losing the No. 8 seed to the Orlando Magic. They still enter the offseason with a lot of positives and a really great core featuring Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.
Charlotte Hornets Star LaMelo Ball $3.75 Million Lawsuit Gets Major Update