Greg Biffle to pay ex-wife punitive damages in invasion of privacy case

Greg Biffle, former NASCAR driver is ordered to pay his ex-wife $250,001 after a ruling on punitive damages following the case involving a home camera system

Greg Biffle is also going racing this weekend

The ex-wide of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle sued for invasion of privacy regarding an extensive home camera system. Cameras were setup inside the bathroom and bedrooms of the home.

Nicole Lunders, ex-wife to the NASCAR driver was awarded $1 last week after a jury declared Biffle guilty on the invasion of privacy case.

Punitive damages [extra damages] was not awarded in last weeks trial because the jury could not come to an agreement on the amount. The jury being hung on punitive damages would have resulted in a mistrial.

As a result, Greg Biffle elected to allow the trial to continue, skipping the punitive damages award. That pushed the ruling for punitive damages portion of the trial to this week.

This week, the jury awarded punitive damages of $500,000. However, the state of North Carolina has a limit set on the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded. That limit is $250,000. The total of $250,001 comes from last weeks $1 award [actual damages] plus this weeks $250,000 award [punitive damages].

Greg Biffle wins at Michigan International Speedway
BROOKLYN, MI – AUGUST 19: Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 19, 2012 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The attorney for Lunders, Amy Simpson has said she plans to file an appeal on the amount of damages awarded in the case. Simpson stated that certain evidence was disallowed for presentation during the trial.

Nicole Lunders was seeking a total of $8.9 million. $5.5 for herself and another $3.4 million for her mother who also lived in the Lake Norman residence. The jury ruled that Biffle did not invade the privacy of his mother in law. In the initial filing several years ago, court documents showed Lunders was looking for a minimum of $25,000.

The bathroom cameras did not have the toilet or tub directly in view. Instead, they were aimed at a closet. Biffle claims valuables were stored in the closet. However, the lawyer for Lunders says the footage still caught nude footage of Biffle’s ex-wife in the vanity mirror as well as when she was exiting the tub or toilet.

Biffle stated that he did nothing inappropriate. Since the case began, he claimed the cameras were installed to catch maids that were allegedly stealing from him. The cameras were installed by a Roush Fenway Racing employee, Ricky Mattew Reavis.

While the frames were not set to aim at the toilet or tub, the cameras allegedly caught Lunders in an affair with her tennis instructor. Biffle has opened up a lawsuit of his own aginst the tennis instructor for alienation of affection.

“When someone asks for $9 million and gets $1 [in actual damages], that’s a pretty big victory for the person that only has to pay $1 as opposed to $8,999,999 more of those dollars,” John Buric told ESPN.

“Knowing the jury was [hung] on the no liability on punitive is a great feeling. Sometimes you have to make the tough calls — when you do the math on it and do the economics on it and you know you’re capped at $250,000, you’re substantially better off than starting all over and paying two or three times of that in legal fees and having all the risk.”

The plaintiff lawyer has stated they plan on filing an appeal.

“It’s not about money, it’s about holding him accountable,” Simpson said.

“The problem is the dollar was based not on the full evidence and the end result has been Greg telling every news media outlet he can, as well as his lawyer, that that $1 signals he didn’t do anything wrong. … He seems to ignore that he was found to have invaded her privacy,” the lawyer for Lunders concluded.

Greg Biffle wins at Dover International Speedway - 2008
DOVER, DE – SEPTEMBER 21: Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Camping World RV 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 21, 2008 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Back to the race track…

With the case out of the way, Greg Biffle is set to climb back behind the wheel of a race car again. It’s long been rumored this very case is what caused Biffle to leave NASCAR to begin with.

One week after the trial has concluded, Biffle will run a Stadium Super Truck. The rally trucks will run at Road America August 23-25. It’s on the same weekend the NASCAR Xfinity Series visits the Elkhart Lake, WI complex.

Greg Biffle tweeted this week: “Finally ready to get back to racing this weekend. I’m happy I can Focus on Racing again!!!”

Greg Biffle hasn’t driven in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since 2016. He ran 515 MENCS races over his 15 year career. Biffle has 19 wins in the top level of NASCAR.

More

Related: Greg Biffle declared guilty in invasion of privacy case

Related: Civil case against Greg Biffle heads to trial

Related: Former NASCAR driver accused of using hidden cameras to watch his wife and mother in law

Links

Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | NASCAR

Categories

Tags