Categories: Sports Disputes

Jameis Winston Sued In Federal Court By Uber Driver Who Accuses QB Of Sexual Assault

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has been sued by an Uber driver who claims that she was sexually assaulted by him on March 13, 2016. The lawsuit was filed by the driver, who goes by the pseudonym Kate P. in the Complaint, on September 18 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.

In June, Winston issued an appology to the Uber driver, who then issued her first public statement about the incident on the following day. It also followed the National Football League suspending Winston for the first three games of the 2018 NFL regular season.

“My experience should highlight the importance of believing women when they have the courage to come forward about sexual assault,” stated the driver. “Perhaps that night could have been prevented if others had been believed before me.”

But the Uber driver was obviously not fully satisfied with getting her message out along with Winston suffering through a three game suspension worth $124,411 in forfeited salary. Now, she wants relief in the form of economic damages.

The claims in the Complaint are for sexual battery and punitive damages. They each revolve around the claim that Winston inflicted unwanted sexual contact upon the Uber driver by grabbing her vagina with his hand.

“Defendant’s conduct complained of herein was attended with a conscious or reckless disregard for a substantial risk of harm to Plaintiff, and a pattern of similar conduct toward other women,” states the Uber driver in her punitive damages count.

The legal dispute was initiated two days prior to the deadline that the Uber driver was entitled to bring her claims under an agreement that tolled the statute of limitations to September 20.

Darren Heitner @DarrenHeitner

Darren Heitner is the creator of The Sports Biz. He is the owner of the South, Florida-based HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C., which is a law firm that focuses on transactional, intellectual property and litigation work with a heavy emphasis on sports and entertainment issues. He is also the founder of Sports Agent Blog and an author of 2 books published by the American Bar Association -- How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know (1st and 2nd Editions). Heitner contributed to Forbes and Inc. for many years.

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