Cleveland Browns in out-of-court settlement with former centre LeCharles Bentley – NFL News
Cleveland Browns’ outgoing owner Randy Lerner has approved an out-of-court settlement with former centre LeCharles Bentley who had suffered a season-ending injury after joining the team, which later was aggravated to be a serious one by a staph infection.
LeCharles was in the legal wrangling with Browns since 2010 but Neal Gulkis, the spokesman to Browns’ owner, confirmed on Wednesday that the player has agreed to enter an out-of-court deal with the team. Neal declined to disclose terms of the settlement,
saying they were confidential.
Later the player himself released a statement, confirming the deal with the outgoing owner. The statement reads:
"These last six years have been the most trying time of my life, but now that it is over, I can honestly say I am a better man for having gone through it. Randy Lerner and I - two men born and raised in Cleveland - were able to sit down face to face back
in June and come to an agreement that was fair."
The deal was likely happening as the new owner Jimmy Haslam is set to take over Browns reign from Lerner as a part of the deal both sides have recently signed. The case could have an impact on the regulatory approval of the transaction, which now stands
cleared by Lerner himself.
Although terms of the deal between Lerner and Bentley are unknown, the player is expected to have been given a healthy compensation payout. The case nevertheless is over after announcement of the agreement.
Bentley signed with Browns in 2010 but never played a game for them. He suffered a knee injury during contact drills at training camp and later had a staph infection. According to the player’s claim, the injury was so serious that doctors made their mind
about amputating his leg.
Browns had known to staph infection previously but did not disclose information to the player. For example, another player – former wide receiver Joe Jurevicius – had also suffered the same infection and sued the team. He too reached a settlement with the
team in 2010.
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