‘Teen Mom OG’ Dad Ryan Edwards Sued for “Recklessly” Causing Car Accident; Victim Demands $290K in Damages

“I think we can all agree it’s best I let someone else drive…”

Ryan Edwards may be paying for his past mistakes, both literally and figuratively. 

The Sun broke the news on Friday that the Teen Mom OG dad is being sued for “recklessly” causing an August 2018 car crash, the victims of which are demanding $290,000 for their suffering. 

Tennessee residents James and Janet Byrne filed a complaint against Ryan in July 2019, claiming Ryan “negligently and recklessly” rear-ended James with his 2018 Ford pickup truck. James alleges Ryan “violently” struck his 1997 Nissan pickup truck while it was stopped at a red light. In court papers obtained by The Sun, James blames several things for the crash, including Ryan being distracted, and Ryan’s dog being present.

“The collision was of such force as to cause the back of Mr. Byrne’s head to strike the rear window of his pickup truck and break the window,” the court documents read. 

The alleged victim goes on to accuse the father of four of driving with his dog in the passenger seat at the time of the accident. James claims Ryan “should have known” the dog would “interfere” with his ability to drive. He also claims Ryan drove “while distracted,” following the Nissan pickup truck too closely, failing to adjust his speed and not keeping “a lookout.” 

“I’m all the lookout he needs. Fight me, bro. Also….woof.”

According to the complaint, the driver of the Nissan claimed to have sustained bodily injuries in the crash, including vertigo, as well as “physical impairment and disability, physical pain and suffering, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, and medical, rehabilitation and medication expenses.”

The driver also stated that his wife “suffered and will suffer a loss of the companionship” due to the injuries he sustained. 

The alleged victims are asking $260,000 in injuries, damages and losses; another $30,000 has been requested for the driver’s wife for her loss of companionship. 

“I think he’s talking about sex…”

The father of three, who shares son Bentley with ‘Teen Mom OG’ star Maci Bookout, as well as two kids with his wife Mackenzie, responded to the lawsuit in August 2019, stating he could “neither admit nor deny” that the driver was stopped at a red light. He also denied all claims against him, including the allegations that his “negligence” and “recklessness” caused the accident. 

Ryan reportedly went on in his response to request that the alleged victim provide proof of his injuries, as well as his wife to provide evidence of her loss of companionship. 

“Show me you’re not gettin’ any and we’ll talk!” 

As ‘Teen Mom OG’ fans know, Ryan’s driving history is a bit checkered.

During Season 6 of the show, Ryan was shown driving while under the influence of prescription medication on the way to his wedding to Mackenzie. During the car ride, he slurred and began to fall asleep behind the wheel, with Mackenzie having to wake him up several times. Shortly after the episode aired in 2017, Ryan admitted to struggling with drug addiction and checked himself into rehab.

The case is ongoing and a trial date is pending. 

RELATED STORY: ‘Teen Mom OG’ Star Amber Portwood Says Daughter Leah Has Started Asking Questions About Amber’s Prison Past: “She’s Definitely Coming At Me” 

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45 Comments

  1. This lawsuit seems obscene to me. I was in a bad motorcycle accident. I was busted up bad and I will have back problems for the rest of my life. My husband, “lost,” his companion temporarily and had to take care of me. I got $13,000. I think they are going high because of who he is.


  2. Eh, Ryan should definitely pay for this guy’s medical bills and any loss of wages but…. loss of companionship? Stop.


  3. My partner was in an accident years ago and the womans husband tried to sue him for loss of companionship too. Cos she had so much anxiety. Nothing came out of it, and she was actually at fault cos she pulled out in front of him but cos he hit her he was automatically said to be at fault.


  4. Two thing here,

    1. How is the figging dog?

    2. Tennessee residents James and Janet Byrne need their asses beat, sorry.

    stay lit, accidents happen.


    1. Absolutely ..why don’t you just go through regular insurance and let them handle it. Can’t stand Ryan but it’s obviously these people are being really $$$ grubbing losers..that’s what insurance is for. Goddamnit don’t make me stick up for Ryan freaking Ryan


  5. OK, so we know he wasn’t driving to go see Bentley. Can someone tell me, other than Teen Mom money and daddy’s money, what does Ryan do for money?


  6. I work in personal injury litigation and these “loss of companionship” claims are actually extremely common. If the person is injured to the point where they can’t do much for themselves, it affects the relationship they have with their family members, especially spouses who are typically tasked with taking care of this individual. It’s a good way to get more money. I will say though that a $290k claim seems pretty low to me so I doubt this guy who’s suing is that injured.

    Having said that, Ryan is still trash <3.


    1. Agreed – that demand is awfully low. Must be one of those “not out to screw anyone” guys that legit just wants to pay their expenses with a little left over.


    2. Working in the same field I was thinking the same. Must not be much more documented than soft tissue and the “frequent” headaches. Curious if this is an actual suit or just a BI max limits pursuit with the insurance company.


      1. Exactly, he probably hasn’t suffered a loss of income or anything that significant if the claim is this low.


  7. Lmaooo I can’t even comment on Ryan after reading “loss of companionship “ what on earth does that mean??? And how do you attribute a $30k price tag to it? Is she gonna buy a new husband?


    1. I work in insurance. In my state the defendant’s insurance policy would cover bodily injury and punitive damages to a certain extent. Once the policy limits are exhausted, the insured is on their own, but we would provide them with representation.

      Hopefully Ryan’s carrier is representing him in this suit. People are so ridiculous. Everyone sues for everything nowadays, and it’s crazy. I’m sure he was paid for his bodily injury and vehicle damage already. This dude seems to just want a money grab because Ryan is on television. By all means, the at fault party should cover the damages, but this reeks of scammer to me. Not that I like Ryan at all cause I think he’s a horrible person along with his enabling family, but the plaintiff seems like a con artist to me.


  8. This sounds like a legitimate lawsuit if the injuries are proven (except the $30k for loss of companionship). If they were stopped at a red light, Ryan hit them, and whiplash happened (broken window due to his head hitting it) then it doesn’t seem like an unreasonable amount to sue for. Ryan should have lost his license a long time when he was driving under the influence.


    1. Loss of companionship is a legitimate claim. And loss of consortium. It’s to compensate the spouse and family for their time and suffering having to take care of their family member that wouldn’t have been injured and in need of care if it wasn’t for the defendant’s actions. Can’t do the time, don’t do the crime (figuratively speaking).

      Their ask is super low. They probably know Ryan doesn’t have a job other than being high on TV and they know something is better than nothing.


      1. I was in a motorcycle accident and was busted up bad. I will have back problems for the rest of my life. My husband had to take care of me and I didn’t get anywhere near that amount. I got $13,000. I think this lawsuit is way too much.


  9. As mentioned in the article, this takes me back to the episode when Mac knowingly and willingly married Ryan when he was half conscious & nodding out ON THE WAY TO THEIR WEDDING. She dragged him down the aisle and volunteered herself to deal with his arrests, custody battles, stays in & out of rehab and now law suits. She should try writing a letter to the claimant explaining how this is really Macis fault. Because as we know in Ryan world- it’s never his fault, just ask his parents…


    1. Also reminds me of the Episode after his car crash where he and mack sat on a table with maci and taylor and maci asked him if he makes sure that bentley wears a seatbelt when he drives with him and Ryan said something like.. well sometimes, but not always, i dont think its important bc when i was a kid it was not a thing and it never was a problem….


  10. I bet he was High.. I hope they win their lawsuit.. he could have permanent back and neck injuries if his head broke the back window of his truck. He would’ve been hit hard and with likely no airbag in the truck.. no cushion from hitting the steering wheel then the back window with force.. likely driving him into the intersection. My husband was rear-ended at a stop light buddy hit him at 60 Klms cause he “didn’t see him stopped” he still has neck problems..


  11. I can think of one other reason for him rear ending someone: NODDING OUT ON HEROIN!! He must’ve been tested at the hospital afterwards, and he’d have gotten a DUI- controlled substance. I got sued by someone a few years ago, a backseat passenger in a 1995 VW Jetta who was drunk and not wearing her seatbelt. She sued me CIVILLY in court, not even listing a number amount that she wanted, she claimed to have ptsd from the wreck, would be unable to work for the rest of her life, her life quality was severely impacted. Funny though, I found her Facebook abd was dancing it up at the club less than 3 weeks after accident, the one she claimed she was so injured she couldn’t work anymore. But she refused an ambulance that night saying she was fine. Bitch must’ve got the address from my license somehow & drove past my parents house (I hadn’t gone to dmv and changed address to my new address for like 2 years after I moved in with bf) and thought I lived there, and therefore ‘had money’ 😂😂😂 Sweetie, just because my parents do, doesn’t mean I’ve got jack shit. Never heard anything about the case again. I don’t think my ‘The General’ car insurance paid her anything 🤣


    1. You seem to comment a lot about your personal life, the same type of lives we(most teen mom viewers and the ashley readers) make fun of and think of how sad it is and how they can’t seem to get their lives together. If you haven’t noticed the downvotes on most of your comments I’m guessing it is for that reason, we just think of it as sad and it is getting old. Idk if drama is still happening in your life but it seems like you need to let go of your issues of the past because if you don’t you can’t nove on and lead a happy life. Just like ryan, just like amber, catelynn, farrah, etc.

      I’m not saying you have to care about being downvoted or not, this is the internet,nothing matters. Just pointing it out.


      1. If you must know, I have been clean for over 5 years, have a 23 month old toddler, and a man that I’ve been with going on 12 years, and a well paying career that I love. So no, there’s no drama going on in my life, and hasn’t been for a long time. But good lookin out on my downvotes, unlike some people obviously, I don’t come back and check how many downvotes my comments get.


        1. YES! SHEESH! Don’t you know relating your real world problems with other people’s real world problems is sad?!? Get some help for all of your old drama! Damn!
          (obvs sarcasm lmao)


  12. Effing Maci. Clearly she triggered him so he had to drive like a jackass to get his frustrations out.

    Idk about the dog thing, but he must’ve been majorly distracted somehow to slam into them so hard that the guy’s head broke the freaking car window – that takes some major force. He probably dropped his heroin needle.


    1. Hahaha he probably did drop his needle lol!!! Although, when I was using, the last time/place I would mix a shot was while driving, with my dog next to me (RIP Spazzy 2/11/17) so who knows what happens. I know plenty of responsible drivers who’s dogs ride shotgun, it doesn’t hinder their ability to drive.


  13. 1) Ryan has 3 kids,not 4
    2) “loss of companionship”? LOL
    3) I bet Ryan and his enabling family will say this is Maci’s fault too somehow


      1. “The alleged victim goes on to accuse the father of four of driving with his dog in the passenger seat at the time of the accident.”

        First it says “four” and then it says 3.

        I noticed it too.


      2. They may be including Hudson as step son? My husband says he has 3 children when asked, 2 are biologically his. Xx


    1. I thought it was a joke, because he treats the dog more like a child of God than his actual children. So I thought the dog was the 4th kid.


      1. I haven’t actually watched Teen Mom in years, but obviously I read the recaps on here and I see the occasional 5 minute video clip on my Facebook newsfeed. Honest question here – does Ryan ever hold or actually interact with Jagger or Stella? Any pictures or video I ever see, he’s holding the dog or sitting on the couch, and Mackenzie is doing something with the kids, but Ryan barely seems to acknowledge their existence.

        Mack got herself into this situation with Ryan’s bad attitude, zero fatherly skills, and horrible habits on display on MTV for the world to see, but if this is truly her life, I do still feel a bit sorry for her. She’s got her hands full with 3 kids (including two very young ones) and chasing after Ryan trying to make him be a man. Wonder if she’s regretting her decisions yet?


  14. Ryan is a trash father and has his own issues, but this is the most frivolous lawsuit I’ve seen. Lmao. These people are real pieces of work. 🤣 Suing for a random 30,000 dollars for “loss of companionship”. I’m gonna tell my husband his companionship is worth a few thousand dollars. Jesus God Leah people are really losing it.


    1. I so agree! I can’t stand Ryan but this seems silly and people trying to make a buck off someone famous! My dog rides shotgun with me all the time 🤷‍♀️


    2. Yeah seriously, what is ‘loss of companionship?’ He is impotent now from a head injury and can’t fuck his wife anymore? I’m sure his 20+ year old truck got fixed/replaced, which that abd medical bills is all Ryan should have to pay for. I had someone file a frivolous suit against me, claiming all these injuries, would never be able to work again (she was like 20,) yet could not prove a single one, nor prove she had been to a single doctors appointment. 🤣. Nice try, hon.


    3. You won’t think it frivolous if you are in a situation where your spouse/partner is injured in an accident and you have to take time off work to care for him, or you have to start working doubles because they can’t work, etc. and your lawyer tells you that you can make a claim for loss of companionship or loss of consortium. It’s a legitimate claim.

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