Biffle estate faces wrongful-death lawsuits
Jamie McMurray, left, and Greg Biffle talk after the qualifying run of the Busch Inside Traxx 300 at the Nashville superspeedway in Gladeville, Tenn., on June 7, 2002.
National Transportation safety Board investigators take photos and collect evidence on Dec. 19, 2025, at the scene of a plane crash that killed seven people, including NASCAR's Greg Biffle, in Statesville.
NASCAR driver Greg Biffle's estate has been sued for a combined $30 million by the estates of two others killed in a Dec. 18 plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport, court records show.
Lawyers for the estates of Dennis Dutton, the pilot of the Cessna 500 Citation II, and Dutton's son, Jack, filed the claims in Iredell County Civil Superior Court on April 17. Seven people died in the crash, including Biffle, his wife, Cristina, son Ryder, daughter Emma and Craig Wadsworth, who worked for Biffle.
The Duttons' estates claim Biffle failed "to maintain the aircraft in an airworthy condition," according to the lawsuits. Biffle failed to have "sufficient and/or adequate crew" aboard and "conduct adequate safety checks," repairs and inspections of the plane, the lawsuits claim.
The plane became uncontrollable after takeoff and crashed short of the runway on its return to the airport, according to the complaints.
The lawsuits were filed by Davidson lawyer Kristen Forbes and Wake Forest lawyer James Crouse. Holly Norvell, listed in court records as the lawyer for Biffle's estate, could not be reached for comment Friday.
In February, 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's estate, court records show.
No further court proceedings have been scheduled in the cases against the Dutton and Biffle estates.
Multiple issues, including failure of some instruments and decreasing visibility conditions, occurred in the minutes leading up to the crash, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board said. The final report could take at least until year's end, officials said.
Biffle, a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee, earned 19 wins in 515 starts and contended for the playoffs throughout his career. He finished in the top 10 in the standings six times, including runner-up in 2005. He was named one of NASCAR's 75 greatest drivers.
After Biffle's death, Iredell County sheriff's investigators responded to a break-in at his home on Lake Norman in Mooresville. The investigation has expanded into a larger case involving the theft of his money and belongings.
Recent search warrants allege that friends of Biffle conspired to steal his wealth after his death.
