The “Star Trek” star was killed in a freak accident in June when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards and crushed him against a security gate, and now his mother and father Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin are reportedly taking legal action against Fiat Chrysler, which make the auto, manufacturer ZF North America and vehicle retailer chain AutoNation.
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A wrongful death lawsuit filed by his parents against Fiat Chrysler says the gear changer on his Jeep was defective.
Yelchin was one of the highest-profile incidents involved with FCA’s recent recall for the shifter design when his Jeep rolled away and pinned him against a brick pillar and gate this past June.
Attorney Dordick says a recall notice arrived seven days after Yelchin was killed, a recall that involves more than 1 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles to update software associated with the gear shifters.
The recall applies to 811,000 vehicles in the United States, covering the 2014-2015 model years of the Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicle and 2012-2014 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans.
Gary Dordick, attorney for Irina and Victor Yelchin, said: “It appears that Anton went back to his house to retrieve something”. It was only until June when Fiat Chrysler issued a notice to Yelchin that they were changing the bad gear shifter, but by then it was too late. The undated letter addres-sed to Yelchin was displayed at the news conference and said “your vehicle may roll away, striking and injuring you, your passengers, or by standers, if the vehicle’s engine is left running, the parking brake is not engaged, and the transmission is not in the “PARK” position before exiting the vehicle”.
Yelchin’s parents said it goes against nature for a parent to bury their child, and they hope the lawsuit will make sure no other family has to go through what they have endured.
Irina added: “He never cared about being a star”. “He loved life very, very much”. “His death is gonna save some other life”. “FCA US urges customers to follow the instructions in their owners manuals and the information cards sent with their recall notices”.
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The Russian-born actor, whose parents were both celebrated figure skaters in the former Soviet Union, was best known for playing the young starship navigator Pavel Chekov in the movie reboot of Star Trek.
