Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
A postal carrier hospitalized after being attacked by dogs on Jeremy Mayfield’s property in April 2011 was awarded a $1 million judgment by a North Carolina judge Wednesday.
Mary Bolton filed a negligence lawsuit against Mayfield and his wife in June in state Superior Court in Winston-Salem, N.C., after being attacked by Mayfield’s dogs.
Bolton was hospitalized after the incident and has suffered physical injuries as well as mental, emotional and psychological anguish, according to the lawsuit, which Mayfield never contested. She alleged that Mayfield was negligent in letting his dogs—pit bull/Labrador mixes—run loose. A judgment in Bolton’s favor was issued last August.
Bolton attorney Marc Madonia said that Bolton suffered nerve damage from two large lacerations on her left forearm and still has decreased sensation and sporadic problems gripping and holding. She also suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, he said.
She returned to work part time in September and is now working full time, Madonia said. Medical expenses, lost wages and workers’ compensation fees make up approximately $55,000 of the judgment, with the rest awarded for her having only partial use of her left arm, the scarring (she had puncture wounds on her back, thigh, shin, shoulder and ankle) and the emotional distress, Madonia said.
At a hearing Wednesday to determine damages, Superior Court Judge William Z. Wood set the $1 million amount, according to a story on the Winston Salem-Journal website and confirmed by Madonia.
Mayfield told the newspaper that he was sorry for what happened and had offered to pay the medical expenses of Bolton, who was trying to deliver a package that was too big for Mayfield’s mailbox and went to Mayfield’s front door.
“I’m far off the road to not get messed with,” he said about his house. “My dogs never left that property, yet I’ve got a $1 million judgment against me.”
Whether Bolton ever gets any money from the former NASCAR driver is questionable as Mayfield already has $2.1 million in judgments against him for a variety of claims that include loans, legal fees, surveying fees and state taxes. He also owes more than $112,000 in property taxes and his property was recently foreclosed on and auctioned off last week.
Mayfield also faces 19 criminal felony charges in three North Carolina counties—18 related to alleged stolen goods and one for possession of methamphetamine.
Mayfield hasn’t competed in NASCAR since May 2009, when NASCAR said he tested positive for methamphetamine. He has said it was a false positive for a mix of prescription and over-the-counter medication, but lost his court challenge against NASCAR over the suspension as the courts ruled he could not sue because of waivers he signed in order to compete.
He has said he is innocent of the criminal charges and believes NASCAR has worked with authorities in their investigation into the alleged stolen goods.
Madonia said that Bolton realizes that for now it appears to be an uncollectible judgment and that she feels sorry for Mayfield for the situation he is in. She hopes that Mayfield can get himself straightened out and that she can eventually collect the judgment, he said.
WRITTEN BY Bob Pockrass Sporting News & FULL STORY HERE