NASCAR family member sued for $18,000 vet bill
Phantom was a 2-year-old boxer taken to Ravenswood Veterinary Clinic on Clyde Morris Boulevard on Aug. 17, according to court records.
The dog had eaten "a shish kabob stick," France's lawyer Dave Robinson said.
In spite of surgery and other medical care that ran up a bill of nearly $30,000, Phantom died.
A member of the France family paid $10,000 with a credit card on Aug. 25, records show. But the Ravenwood clinic and Mark C. Anderson, the veterinarian, claim they are still owed the rest.
"I think it's a lot of money," Robinson said. "The dog didn't survive."
Medical bills in the court record show flushes for the dog's abdomen at more than $400, pain-killer injections for $120, infusion pumps and gas for anesthesia, Robinson said.
Last month, James Hattaway, a lawyer from Longwood representing the vet clinic, wrote J.C. France saying they "appreciated" the partial payment. But, Hattaway added, the clinic wants the rest of what is owed.
The letter states, "While my client very much recognizes the sadness you felt at your dog's passing, it hopes that you recognize the clinic should be paid for the efforts it took on your and your pet's behalf (and at your request)."
In the letter, sent to France on Dec. 15, Hattaway warned that if payment in full was not received by Dec. 27, the clinic would take "necessary legal action to collect all sums due."
The five-page complaint was filed in circuit court last week.
In the lawsuit, the clinic states it "believed that the Defendant would pay for the reasonable value of the veterinary services delivered." Daytona Beach News Journal