In most cases, ignoring a problem won’t make it go away. When served with a summons and complaint in a civil lawsuit, ignoring the problem will only make it a whole lot worse.
That’s what former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell may have done, after a cousin sued him in 2024 for raping her repeatedly when he was under the age of 18.
The lawsuit was filed in March 2024. Bell never responded to it. In October 2024, the presiding judge entered a default judgement. Two weeks ago, a trial proceeded on the question of damages only. Bell wasn’t there. The jury awarded, via TMZ.com, a $25 million verdict to his cousin.
Bell’s lawyer now claims that Bell was never served the appropriate paperwork — and that Bell denies the allegations.
“My client adamantly denies any and all allegations that have been lodged against him,” Thomas W. Shaffer told TMZ.com. “Further, he was never served with a civil complaint or any documents.”
The procedure for serving process on a defendant is technical and rigorous. It entails proper documentation that the paperwork was indeed delivered to the defendant.
Typically, a court won’t issue a default judgment absent convincing evidence that the summons and complaint were actually served.
“The default judgment granted was based upon violations of his Fifth Amendment rights of due process for failing to be served,” Shaffer said. “My client is in the process of filing a motion to open and reverse the default judgment because the narratives of the case have never been litigated.”
If Bell wasn’t served, his lawyer will have to prove it. Which means he’ll have to disprove the available documentation that objectively shows Bell got the paperwork.
Given that it would be very easy for any civil defendant to ignore the summons and complaint and later claim he wasn’t served, Bell and his lawyer will have to come up with something far better than, “I never got it.”
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