Settlement may be near in driver’s suit against QB

A settlement agreement is being finalized in the federal lawsuit filed by a Scottsdale Uber driver against Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, court records show.

The female driver filed the lawsuit Sept. 18 in U.S. District Court in Arizona and seeks more than $75,000 in damages. She said Winston grabbed her crotch in the drive-thru of a Phoenixarea Mexican restaurant in March 2016.

In a notice to the court filed Monday, the woman’s lawyers said she reached an agreement with Winston to resolve her claims.

Both parties need about 10 days to finalize the agreement, the notice signed by the plaintiff ’s lawyers, Sara J. Powell and John C. Clune, shows. They requested the court temporarily suspend all further proceedings.

Clune said Tuesday by email that he had no comment.

In an Oct. 18 notice to the court, lawyers for the driver said the parties agreed to try to resolve the matter through alternative dispute resolution, scheduled on Nov. 20.

Nelson Luis, the Buccaneers’ vice president of communications, said he did not expect a formal comment from Winston or the team about the agreement.

After investigating the incident, the National Football League in June suspended Winston for three games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

The NFL announced the suspension after an eight-month investigation concluded the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner, who was in Arizona for a charity event, violated the league’s personal conduct policy by “touching the driver in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent.”

The driver did not file a criminal or civil complaint, however, she reported the incident to Uber. The NFL learned of the allegation when it was reported publicly last November.

In his only public comments on the accusation and suspension, Winston apologized on the first day of training camp this year, but did not discuss specifics of the Uber ride he took during the winter after his rookie season.

“I should never have put myself in that situation,” he said. “All I can do is grow and learn from that . ... I’ve made a lot of positive changes since then.”