BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Bills running back Nyheim Hines will pursue legal action against the person who hit him on a jet ski in North Carolina, according to his lawyer Brad Sohn.
Hines was ruled out for the entire 2023 season following the accident in July. He tore his ACL in the accident, which required surgery.
His lawyer said on Thursday that Hines was “struck by a recklessly operating jet-skier” who was traveling at “potentially” 40 MPH and “in violation of North Carolina’s minimum watercraft education training requirements.”
Sohn says that the operator was cited by North Carolina authorities following the accident. He added that Hines does have a boating license and was likely traveling around 10 MPH at the time of the collision. Hines was not cited.
Sohn said Hines hired him to “hold the necessary parties accountable for ending his season and costing him potentially many millions of dollars.”
Sohn told News 4 that he does anticipate litigation, both in the “value of Nyheim’s career in terms of any money he has lost out on,” as well as “any reduction in value to future career.”
Hines restructured his contract with the Bills earlier this year to be worth $9 million over two years, according to contract website Spotrac. He earned a $1 million signing bonus in the process.
“Why someone would elect to rent a jet ski to such a person and why this person chose to do so are questions my office will be looking into very closely in the coming weeks,” Sohn said Thursday. “I look forward to doing everything I can to put the pieces back together for Nyheim.”
Hines is currently on Buffalo’s non-football injury list.
