He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but it is unknown why he was behind it when it started rolling.
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The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, is believed to be the first wrongful death complaint linked to the Fiat Chrysler recall in April of more than 1.1 million cars and SUVs because of vehicles that roll away after drivers exit them.
The suit does not say how much Yelchin’s parents are seeking in damages, but their attorney Gary A. Dordick said they want the company to be punished and hope the lawsuit changes its business practices. “They failed to take action to protect the families that trusted them to make their vehicles safe”. However, the auto seems to have rolled down the driveway quickly, pinning him to the gate, trapping him there, and eventually killing him. Fiat Chrysler prioritized repairs of the issue after the actor’s death. Both the company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have urged drivers of vehicles subject to the recall to set their parking brakes before getting out of their vehicles.
Dordick said a May recall notice sent out by the auto company regarding the defect wasn’t found in the actor’s possession, and a second letter was mailed to Yelchin’s home seven days after his death.
“They didn’t start fixing it until people were injured and people finally got killed”, Dordick claims.
Fiat Chrysler has said it is speeding its recall of the vehicle.
Yelchin reportedly owned a late-model Jeep Grand Cherokee, which might have been one of the vehicles subjected to a voluntary recall due to a risk of “rollaway”. They put profits before safety. “They can not wait for someone to be hurt and someone to be killed before they do the right thing”.
“FCA US LLC extends its sympathies to the Yelchin family for their tragic loss”, the statement reads. But a spokesperson for FCA says the auto company has yet to be served with any lawsuit. Many reported the vehicles rolled off after the driver exited. “It’s wrong. It’s against nature when parents bury their own child”.
His wife, Irina Yelchin, said of her son, “He was very special, but now he’s very special because his death might just save some other life”.
Yelchin’s mother Korina added, “We were always proud of him being the greatest human being – not for being a star”.
In tears, Mrs Yelchin added: “Every morning we’re getting text messages or emails from his friends all around the world saying how much. losing this lovely human being, and the world is really missing him and it’s not right that he is not here”.
Last month, the Yelchins penned a heartfelt note to the actor’s fans.
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The Star Trek Beyond cast also honored Yelchin during their appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego, California.
