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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 12:36 p.m., Monday, December 22, 2008

NFL: Burress was driving without insurance before crash

Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Add this to the growing list of Plaxico Burress' problems: getting in a car crash and not having insurance on his nearly $140,000 Mercedes-Benz.

The suspended New York Giants wide receiver was sued last week in Florida's Broward County Circuit Court for rear-ending a woman in May.

Compounding the Super Bowl star's defense, according to a document provided by the woman's attorney, is the fact his car insurance lapsed three days before the crash. A letter from Allstate says Burress neglected to pay his premiums.

Burress' attorney, Adam Swickle, declined comment.

Burress is still serving a team suspension for shooting himself Nov. 29 in a nightclub with an illegally carried handgun. Burress shot himself at the Latin Quarter when he accidentally pulled the trigger on the .40-caliber Glock that was in his pants after fumbling a drink.

Teammate Antonio Pierce took the 31-year-old who caught the winning pass in the Super Bowl to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center for treatment.

Burress pleaded not guilty and was released on $100,000 bail. He is due back in court March 31.

He was placed on the team's suspended/non-football injury list, and the NFL Players Association filed a grievance. The union said the Giants violated the collective bargaining agreement when they placed Burress on that list, suspended him for the final four games of the regular season and fined him an additional week's salary for conduct detrimental to the team.