Ex-NY Rangers Hockey Player From NJ Wins $19M In Suit Against Uber

GLEN ROCK, NJ — Glen Rock native Brandon Crawley said his career with the New York Rangers ended because of a crash inside an Uber on Christmas Day 2018. Last month, a jury agreed, awarding him $19 million for his losses.

Now, Crawley — who was a 2017 fourth-round draft pick by the Rangers — is waiting for a judge to sign off on the jury's decision, said a spokesperson this week.

According to Jeff Varcadipane, Crawley's attorney, the hockey player was celebrating Christmas with family at a location in Glen Rock in 2018. Since he'd had a few drinks, he called an Uber to get back to his parents' house, which was less than a mile away.

According to a lawsuit filed in Bergen County Superior Court in October 2020, the Honda Odyssey veered off the road and "violently" crashed into a utility pole in Glen Rock.

Crawley did not get treated right away, but saw the team trainer the next day.

He began to notice his playing was off, Varcadipane told Patch. He was eventually diagnosed by doctors with post-concussion syndrome.

He continued playing hockey for the Rangers while in and out of doctors' offices for two more years. Eventually he was dropped from the starting lineup.

He gave up playing hockey altogether in 2021.

Crawley sued Uber, as well as its subsidiary Raiser.

"His case against Uber hinged on whether Uber drivers should be classified as employees or independent contractors," Varcadipane explained. "The verdict establishes that, under New Jersey law, drivers meet the criteria of employees—a classification that Uber and other ridesharing companies have aggressively opposed for years."

On Jan. 28, the jury awarded Crawley $15 million in lost future career earnings, $3 million in past earnings, and $1 million for pain and suffering, according to court documents.

An Uber spokesperson said on Tuesday, in a statement, "We thank the jury for their service, though we believe the evidence presented at trial warranted a different outcome. It is important to remember this result is specific to this independent driver and is not legal precedent as to Uber, and is a decision of a jury of peers rather than a ruling from a court of law."

Varcadipane disagreed, saying the suit may force the company to take more accountability for its drivers.

He said that suits against the company sometimes don't come to light because of settlements. He said Uber offered Crawley several settlements in which the player would have had to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Instead, Crawley wanted the public to know what happened.

"He wanted to expose that they don't take ownership and accountability for their drivers," Varcadipane said.

He said Crawley wanted people to know that his hockey career didn't end because of lack of skill or talent, but because of the crash.

He has since relocated to Florida.