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NASCAR Driver Files Lawsuit
NASCAR driver Mike Wallace is moving forward with his legal fight regarding the alleged unprovoked beating he and his daughter took after a concert a
In a negligence lawsuit Wallace, his wife, daughter and son-in-law allege the owners and operators of allowing a group of men with a history of violence at the venue to get drunk during a Rascal Flatts concert, then unleash a vicious attack on the Wallaces and their friends in the VIP parking lot, according to the Charlotte Observer.
The suit, moved to federal court June 30, names Pavilion Partners, the Atlanta-based owners of the pavilion;
The lawsuit also claims negligent infliction of emotional distress and seeks punitive damages.
Wallace originally reported that three men he didn’t know punched and kicked him and also attacked his daughter, Lindsey, in the VIP parking lot. Wallace had three front teeth knocked into his mouth, a black eye that impaired his vision and needed 10 stitches in his lip.
His daughter was reportedly choked and beaten as she tried to protect her dad. She sustained a fractured wrist and broken ribs, the Observer said.
The alleged attackers – some employees of the venue’s grounds-keeping company, Lucas Lawn & Landscaping Co., and their friends – had allegedly been involved in several other fights at PNC events before the brawl involving the Wallaces, the lawsuit says.
Police arrested Paul Lucas and Nathan Lucas, the owner’s sons, who were charged with simple assault. Randolph Mangum was charged with assault on a female.
In the case tried last year, the defense presented a different account of what happened that night. Under cross-examination, Wallace was said to admit to drinking four cocktails in a four-hour period and that he does have prescription medications that aren’t to be taken with alcohol.
Wallace’s lawsuit claimed he had been knocked unconscious and was defenseless on the ground but the defense showed a video of the brawl with Wallace actively involved, according to the Observer.
The case ended in a mistrial last October. Wallace dropped the charges in February.
Live Nation Chief Communications Officer Carrie Davis told Pollstar the company doesn’t comment on pending or ongoing litigation.