The 27-year-old Russian-born actor was killed on June 19 in the driveway of his home as he was pinned by his SUV against a fence. Yelchin’s parents are reportedly seeking punitive damages “for the wrongful death of their son due to significant defects” in the Jeep.
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The family’s lawyer said the electronic mechanism does not make it clear to drivers when vehicles are safely in the “park” position. FCA has faced numerous allegations of falling behind on safety-related recalls, at one point receiving a record fine from NHTSA. “There’s been no ‘we’re sorry for your loss.’ They hired their experts and it looks like they’re prepared to fight”. “They can not wait for someone to be hurt and someone to be killed before they do the right thing”.
A government investigation into the gear shifters found 266 crashes that had injured 68 people as of late June.
Viktor and Irena Yelchin will file a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that the Jeep, which was under recall at the time, had a faulty gear shift.
Yelchin’s father Victor told reporters on Tuesday, “With unbelievable grief, we made a decision to come here to prevent other families with the same tragedy”.
“Anton was a wonderful human being, a very gifted actor and a loving son. It’s against nature when a parent has to bury their own child”.
We can’t imagine what the Yelchin family is going through right now. The SUV was part of a global recall of 1.1 million vehicles by carmaker Fiat Chrysler in April.
Fiat Chrysler extended its sympathies to his parents in a statement released before the suit was filed. Although they expressed sympathy to the actor’s family, Fiat Chrysler didn’t comment on the lawsuit. FCA US urges customers to follow the instructions in their owners’ manuals and the information cards sent with their recall notices.
Movie fans were stunned in June when Star Trek Beyond star Anton Yelchin tragically died in a “freak” vehicle accident at only 27 years old. According to reports, his parents recently filed to control his estate, as he died without a will.
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According to TMZ, Viktor and Irina Yelchin are filing lawsuits against the manufacturer, the vehicle retail chain AutoNation, where their son is thought to have bought the SUV, and ZF North America, the makers of the gear shifter.
