A 2023 incident, in which LaMelo Ball allegedly broke a young boy’s foot by driving away, is set to go to trial. A $3.75 million lawsuit was filed as the child suffered severe damage.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff was one of the many fans who surrounded Ball’s car at a traffic stop when leaving the Spectrum Center following a scrimmage. The lawsuit lodged by his mother claims Ball recklessly drove off from the crowd, breaking her son’s foot in the process. She also noted that Joseph is suffering from complex regional pain syndrome. The demanded amount wasn’t revealed until recently.

The incident happened on October 7, 2023, which means it was even before the start of the regular season.

The family claims the incident caused deep emotional and financial suffering. LaMelo Ball vehemently denies these claims. According to the Charlotte Observer, the Hornets star has even asked the family to pay his legal fees.

The trial is set to start from June 15, around the time the NBA season would have closed or be close to that point.

Queen City News, a local news station serving Charlotte, North Carolina, were discussing the latest development in the lawsuit on their platform. A legal professional explained how the plaintiff could justify the $3.75 milion amount.

“You get to that number [$3.75 million] by the damages that you have incurred as a result of the alleged incident,” said Khalif J. Rhodes, Chief Legal Analyst at Queen City News. “You can point to surgeries, you can point to potential loss of earnings, you can point to potential current earnings, future earnings, there is a number of things where you can get that calculation.”

Ball’s legal team has asked to split the upcoming trial into three phases. As per this, the first phase would determine liability, then the compensatory damages and punitive damages would be discussed.

LaMelo Ball was told to stop cancelling depositions

Angell Joseph’s family has been actively trying to schedule a deposition with Ball to ask questions about what transpired on October 7, 2023. However, according to the Joseph family’s attorney, Cameron deBrun, the NBA player kept cancelling the meetings.

After hearing this, the Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge David Strickland told the Ball’s attorneys to ensure the player was available for the deposition.

“Mr. Ball and his attorneys have employed every strategy under the sun to avoid having him sit for a deposition and answer questions about how he injured our client,” deBrun said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. “Their delay tactics have been relentless and transparent, and we are incredibly pleased that the Court has finally put an end to their nonsense.”

With the trial date set for June 15, Ball will have to be careful moving forward on the road as he is also a father now, after announcing the birth of his first child with his girlfriend Anna Montana.

The couple kept the news of LaOne’s birth under wraps for months before revealing it after the Charlotte Hornets’ season officially came to a close.

Having crossed the 70-game mark for the first time since the 2021-22 season, Ball averaged 20.2 points and 7.1 assists, almost leading the Charlotte Hornets to the playoffs. As he awaits a decision on his 2023 incident, Ball will be hoping to stay clear of any off-court incidents and focus on his family and the NBA.