AUGUSTA (AP) – A man whose ear was bitten partially off by a stallion in a roadside pasture has filed a lawsuit against the Palermo stable owners for failing to warn passers-by the stallion was dangerous.

Paul Knickle says Dusty and Pamela Haskell should have known their stallion was dangerous and kept him away from a public road, according to a lawsuit filed on Knickle’s behalf in Kennebec County Superior Court.

“He lost part of the ear and will need some cosmetic surgery and replacement of a piece of ear,” said Jeffrey T. Edwards, the attorney who filed the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Knickle stopped along Martin Road in Palermo on May 23, 2003, to look at the livestock in corrals and feed carrots to the stallion. The stallion attacked Knickle as he stood on the public road, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit also claims the Haskells knew the stallion was aggressive and dangerous and that they were negligent in maintaining the stallion.

J. William Druary Jr., the Haskells’ attorney, denied the allegations on Monday and said Knickle did not have permission to feed the horse.

“He took it upon himself to go on their property. There is an issue about whether he was a trespasser,” Druary said.

Druary said the Haskells were unaware a man had been hurt until later.

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