Anton Yelchin’s parents broke down in tears as they revealed their plans to sue Fiat Chrysler for the “wrongful death” of the son.
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According to TMZ, the family’s lawyer says they are seeking punitive damages “for the wrongful death of their son due to significant defects” in the vehicle.
He was pinned against a brick wall by his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and crushed to death on June 19th. The Jeep rolled downhill onto him, pinning him against the mailbox pillar and security fence.
Anton Yelchin’s parents are to sue over the actor’s death.
The Yelchins’ lawsuit claims the gear selector in their son’s auto – which was one of the 1.1 million recalled by the company, after several vehicles rolled away suddenly, causing dozens of injuries – was defective. He left his vehicle and was on his way out at the time, believing his vehicle was in park. According to Variety, the NHTSA was aware of 700 complaints, including 266 that involved accidents and 68 injuries.
Gary Dordick, an attorney representing the Yelchin family, alleged the gearshift was confusing to drivers, a claim that was corroborated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall report.
At a press conference yesterday, Yelchin’s tearful parents spoke about pursuing action against Chrysler so their son’s fate wouldn’t be repeated. “In spite of our unbelievable grief, we chose to come here to prevent other families from the same tragedy”, he said.
The automaker stated it had actually not been served with a lawsuit and declined to talk about it, but expressed its “sympathies to the Yelchin family for their tragic loss”.
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“FCA US urges customers to follow the instructions in their owner manuals and the information cards sent with their recall notices”. These instructions include advising customers to set the parking brakes in their vehicles before exiting. Dordick said the company’s formal notice of the recall arrived in Anton Yelchin’s mail a week after his death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged the recall because of complaints from drivers that a problem with the gear shift made it hard to tell whether the vehicle was in park.
