CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carl Edwards' former car chief sued Roush Fenway Racing, accusing the organization of firing him shortly after his suicide attempt.

Jason Myers said his dismissal in February violated the Family Medical Leave Act. He filed a civil complaint in Cabarrus County Superior Court seeking more than $10,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

The suit says Myers suffers from a "major depressive disorder" and attempted suicide twice in 2008, when he was second in command to crew chief Bob Osborne during Edwards' nine-win Sprint Cup season. He had been demoted to mechanic at the start of 2009, shortly before a third suicide attempt six days before the season-opening Daytona 500.

Myers filed a complaint June 1 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and followed it the next day with the lawsuit. Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith said the organization was aware only of the EEOC filing.