The man who was hit by Heat forward Haywood Highsmith and had his leg partially partially amputated after a car accident is now suing the NBAer, according to multiple reports.
TMZ first reported that Alekxei Pino filed a lawsuit in a Florida court on Friday and is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $50,000.
Pino, 21, was helping a stranded motorist on Feb. 6 when Highsmith struck the disabled vehicle with his car and hit Pino, who was standing directly behind it.
The suit alleges that Highsmith, who had been coming from Kesaya Center in Miami following the Heat’s 121-95 win over the Magic earlier that night, was traveling above the posted speed limit before he struck Pino, which caused him to have an above-the-knee amputation.
After the crash, Highsmith sat out the Heat’s game the next night, but returned to the court on Feb. 11 against the Boston Celtics.
Highsmith was cited for careless and negligent driving by the Miami-Dade Police Department and the police report estimated that he was traveling at 45 miles per hour in 40 mph zone in the 2021 Audi he was driving in.
TMZ reported that Highsmith may have been distracted by unknown circumstances.
The lawsuit claims Pino suffered other significant injuries and that he has had to undergo several medical procedures because of them.
Pino’s legal counsel Manuel Dobrinsky said in a statement Tuesday that the victim was still recovering in the hospital from the crash earlier this month.
“Alekxei was just trying to do the right thing by being a good Samaritan and helping a stranded motorist. It’s particularly heartbreaking that a good deed has resulted in a life-altering tragedy.” Dobrinsky said.
Highsmith’s agent, Jerry Dianis, said after the crash that the player attempted to help the man after the accident.
“Haywood immediately rushed to help the person pushing the car who had been injured,” Dianis said in the statement, according to The Athletic on Feb. 8. “A tourniquet was applied to the injuries by a bystander and Haywood stayed on the scene continuously talking to the injured man, offering words of comfort until an ambulance took him to the hospital.”
Highsmith is in his third year with Miami after originally signing a 10-day contract in Dec. 2021.
He’s played in 40 games this season.