Plaintiffs have filed two new wrongful death lawsuits, each seeking $15 million, against the estate of late NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. A third, related lawsuit may still be filed against the estate seeking $10 million.
The estates of Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack, the two pilots killed in the fatal December plane crash involving Greg Biffle and his family, reportedly filed the lawsuits in Iredell County Civil Superior Court in North Carolina.
According to the complaints, Biffle’s “negligent, reckless and careless actions and inactions” caused the plane crash that claimed the lives of all seven occupants. The lawsuits seek damages against Biffle’s estate on the grounds that he was “responsible for the airworthiness, maintenance, operation, and safety of the Aircraft” as the plane’s only owner.
Dennis Dutton was piloting the Cessna 500 Citation II when it crashed. According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane’s altimeter was providing false readings.
The report also stated that Dennis Dutton had given his son, Jack, control of the aircraft just prior to the crash. However, neither Biffle nor Jack Dutton had the proper endorsement on their pilot’s licenses to operate as copilots on the plane.
The lawsuits blame Greg Biffle for the fatal plane crash
The Athletic reports that the lawsuits claim Greg Biffle neglected to maintain the aircraft in an airworthy condition, “conduct insufficient safety checks,” and ensure the plane was operated with a “sufficient and/or adequate crew.”
According to The Charlotte Observer, court records show Greg Biffle’s ex-wife, Nicole, filed notice of a $10 million wrongful death claim against Dennis Dutton’s estate on behalf of her daughter, Emma Biffle. The estate of Emma Biffle also filed notice in February that it may make a claim against her father’s estate for $10 million.
Newly released search warrants have revealed that a number of troubling activities took place following the plane crash that took the lives of Biffle, his wife Cristina, their two children, the Duttons, and Craig Wadsworth. Among them were a home burglary, the Biffle family’s bank accounts being compromised, and an email sent to Greg Biffle’s account that read, “I heard you’re dead, rest in hell.”