Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is facing the possibility of having to go to trial as a result of the civil lawsuit filed against him by a social media influencer, but even if it comes to that, it’s very unlikely to happen in 2024.
The civil lawsuit by social media influencer Sophie Hall was filed in February 2024. However, Broward County Circuit Court Judge David A. Haimes issued a Uniform Case Management Order last week stating that the case had to go to trial within 18 months of it being filed, which would put the deadline at August 2025.
In the lawsuit, Hall alleges she was the victim of assault and battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She has demanded a trial by jury in her complaint.
Hall alleges that she sustained serious bodily injuries at the hands of Hill while the two were performing “football plays” at his home in South Florida last year.
Hill has denied the allegations and said that Hall was acting in a careless and reckless manner and that she was the cause of her own injuries. Hill also alleges that Hall had pre-existing injuries that she might have aggravated while participating in the drills with Hill.
To try to expedite matters, Hall’s attorneys filed a Notice of Trial on July 1, which only means that they are ready to try the case at present. It does not rush the Court to go ahead and set it for trial.
Mediation, which is generally required in all civil actions in Broward County, has not even been ordered. Referrals to mediation typically come in the Uniform Trial Order, which will be Ordered next month when the Court holds the Case Management Conference on August 12.
A schedule will be established as to deadlines for discovery cutoff, and other legal procedures that still have to be completed. A final calendar call will then be held and it will be determined when the case is going to proceed to trial.
If the trial did wind up being scheduled for sometime between September and January, this obviously would affect Hill’s preparation for Dolphins games if he had to miss practice and/or meeting time to testify.
The judge’s trial calendar is typically broken down into three-week trial periods. In their notice, Hall’s lawyers referenced the fact that 7-10 days are needed for the case. Therefore, the judge will have to have a docket with that amount of time to schedule a case of this duration.
HILL LOOKING FOR NEW CONTRACT HEADING INTO BIG SEASON
This legal entanglement is happening at the same time that Hill is looking to get a contract extension from the Dolphins.
The two-time team MVP is heading into the second year of the four-year, $120 million contract extension he signed after the Dolphins acquired him in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, but his guaranteed money runs out after the 2024 season and he’s also seen three wide receivers surpass him in annual money — Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions.
Hill addressed his contract situation and the new wide receiver contracts during the June minicamp.
“It’s a great day in the Hill household,” he said. “Everybody waking up happy. Wife waking up happy, my oldest son waking up happy, so it’s a great day. It’s a lot of pressure for me though, because at the same time, I want to be able to help the team as much as I can. Obviously, we already know being greedy ain’t going to help the team. Whatever happens, happens, man.”
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