John Goodman civil suit dismissed in wake of alleged settlement with parents of Scott Wilson

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - One of the worst kept secrets of the John Goodman trial is finally part of the court record.

A civil lawsuit filed against the Wellington polo mogul by the parents of a 23-year-old who died after his car collided with Goodman's Bentley has been dismissed.

In court papers filed Friday, attorneys representing Goodman, and Lili and William Wilson asked that a civil suit be dismissed "with prejudice." That typically signals that a settlement has been reached.

On the eve of Goodman's DUI manslaughter trial last month, word was leaked that the suit had been settled. Attorneys on both sides have declined to confirm it.

The court papers offer no hint of the terms. But it is believed that Goodman agreed to pay Scott Wilson's parents tens of millions of dollars.

Goodman faces a maximum 30 years in prison on April 30, when he is sentenced on charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. Both charges are enhanced by the jury's finding that Goodman failed to render aid after the February 2010 crash. Wilson, a recent engineering graduate, drowned in his car that was pushed into a nearby canal.

Attorneys Christian Searcy and Scott Smith, who represent the Wilsons, have said they don't want to comment on the settlement until after Goodman is sentenced. Attorney Daniel Bachi, who represented Goodman in the civil lawsuit, declined comment.