Driver Sues Estate of Man He Killed, Seeks $50,000 in Damages Citing Psychological Trauma

A Nebraska driver is seeking PTSD-related damages after fatally hitting a man with his car last year.

Gavin Maas is seeking at least $50,000 in damages, including physical and emotional injuries, medical expenses, lost income, court costs, and other costs, per court documents cited by People Magazine and KBTX 3.

According to the complaint, cited by People Magazine's April 18, 2026, report, Maas initially hoped to settle the issue outside of court, but the "circumstances outside of his control left no reasonable alternative."

For context, on August 31, 2025, at around 4:45 a.m. Anthony Miller was jogging alongside his wife on South 27th Street near Barnard Road when he was hit and killed by Gavin Mass, 25.

According to Maas, he saw Miller's wife, Bailey Miller, wearing reflective clothes and said he moved to give her room. However, he didn't see the 37-year-old father of two and award-winning nurse, who, on the other hand, was wearing dark clothing in the dark and rain.

Upon hitting the nurse, Maas immediately got out of his vehicle and attempted life-saving measures. Anthony was later rushed to a hospital, where he passed away.

"Upon realizing that he had struck a person, Gavin quickly got out of his vehicle and attempted life-saving measures until first responders arrived. Despite Gavin’s best efforts, Mr. Miller passed away," the complaint stated.

The 25-year-old was not issued a citation. Investigators reportedly said the time of day and rainy weather could have played a role in the crash.

According to court documents cited by People Magazine's above-mentioned report, Maas suffered PTSD due to the accident and was also hospitalised on multiple occasions, including a 21-day inpatient stay.

The Nebraska driver, who is expected to "require lifelong treatment, including therapy and medications," suffers from an "array of physical and emotional symptoms," the complaint stated.

Furthermore, the complaint alleged that following the accident, Maas has also suffered dissociative episodes and suicidal ideations. He even told hospital staff that "[kept] seeing [Mr. Miller’s] eyes and hearing [Ms. Miller’s] voice."

According to his obituary, Anthony Robert Miller was born in Whittier, California, on July 24th, 1988, and worked as a nurse practitioner with the Acute Care Surgery team.

During his career, he earned multiple prestigious awards, including two Daisy Awards and the 2020 Carol M. Wilson Nurse of the Year.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, who were ages 3 and 18 months at the time of his death.

"My earliest interactions with Anthony were bedside with him as a nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Patients adored him, speaking of his attention to detail and compassion," said Dr. Charity Evans, MD, division chief of acute care surgery (ACS) and professor with the UNMC Department of Surgery, in the news release, as per The Independent.

He continued:

"We were so fortunate to recruit him to ACS as an advanced practice provider. Anthony will be greatly missed. The way he cared for his patients and supported his colleagues will be a lasting example for us all for years to come."