Postal worker wins $1 million from former NASCAR driver

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Postal worker wins $1 million from former NASCAR driver Mayfield in dog attack

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Legal troubles continue to mount for former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield. On Wednesday, a Forsyth County judge ordered Mayfield to pay $1 million to a Catawba postal carrier attacked last year by Mayfield's five pitbulls.

This is the latest salvo against Mayfield, whose home was auctioned off after he failed to pay about $3 million he owed on the property. He also faces drug-possession, larceny and stolen goods charges in three North Carolina counties and was suspended from NASCAR in 2009 for testing positive for methamphetamine.

Judge William Z. Wood of Forsyth Superior Court awarded Mary E. Bolton $1 million. Bolton, who lives in Catawba County, filed a lawsuit against Mayfield and his wife, Shana Mayfield, in June in Forsyth Superior Court. The suit was filed in Forsyth because Bolton's attorney, Marc Madonia, is based in Winston-Salem. The Mayfields never filed an answer to the lawsuit and did not appear in court Wednesday.

Jeremy Mayfield said he didn't file a response to the lawsuit because he couldn't afford to hire another attorney. He said he already has attorneys representing him on his criminal matters.

"If I had a $1 million to give away, I wouldn't be in this situation," he said.

Bolton alleged that the Mayfields were negligent in allowing the dogs, pitbull/Labrador mixes, to run loose on their property in Catawba County. She was delivering mail the morning of April 21, 2011, and had a package too large for the mailbox outside the Mayfields' gate. She drove through the gate, past "No Trespassing" and "Beware of Dogs" signs, to deliver the package and encountered the dogs that attacked her.

Mayfield heard the commotion, shouted at the dogs to scatter them and carried Bolton into the house. He and his wife called 911, and Bolton was taken to Catawba Medical Center for treatment. Animal control confiscated the dogs from Mayfield, but no criminal charges were filed against him. The dogs were later euthanized.

Bolton suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has nerve damage, Madonia said.

Because of her injuries, Bolton was out of work for several months. She started back full time late last year, Madonia said. According to an affidavit filed last September, she lost $14,820 in wages for the time she was out of work. Bolton was happy about the judgment, he said.

Mayfield said Wednesday he is sorry that Bolton continues to suffer from her injuries. He said he offered to pay her medical expenses, which Madonia rebutted.

He said he lives three-quarters of a mile off the road and moved to the country so his dogs wouldn't bother anyone.

"I'm far enough off the road to not get messed with," he said. "My dogs never left that property, yet I've got a $1 million judgment against me."

Madonia said Bolton was on his property to deliver mail and that Mayfield had an opportunity to contest the allegations in court but never did.

As for Mayfield's legal and financial issues, Madonia said the judgment, once formally entered, is good for 10 years and is renewable for another 10 years.

"At some point, Mr. Mayfield will have to address the judgment if he wants to get another home or a loan," he said. "He has 20 years to figure that out."