It is hard to imagine what goes through a family’s mind when they lose a loved one. In addition to grieving the loss, they may wonder who was responsible for what happened. Parents of Star Trek: Beyond actor Anton Yelchin believe that the maker of Yelchin’s Jeep may be responsible for their son’s death.
Yelchin was killed on his driveway when he was crushed by his own 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. His parents have filed a wrongful death suit against manufacturer Fiat Chrysler, dealership AutoNation and ZF North America for punitive damages. The suit is based on the belief that the electronic transmission shift in the vehicle was defective, causing the vehicle to roll in Yelchin’s accident.
The defendants named in the suit allegedly knew of the vehicle defect but failed to take action. Fiat Chrysler had recalled Yelchin’s vehicle and 1.1 million other vehicles for an issue with the gear selector in April 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that this problem has caused a minimum of 117 accidents. Another lawsuit has been filed on behalf of some of the owners of these vehicles.
When a death occurs, the victim’s family may choose to file a wrongful death suit against the negligent parties. A winning lawsuit will allow the family to recover financial damages for the loss of their loved one. These financial damages can cover funeral costs, loss of future income and medical expenses. While no money award will make the pain go away, it can help make sure the family is financially stable after a fatal accident.
Source: CNN Money, “Anton Yelchin’s family files wrongful death suit,” Chloe Melas, Aug. 2, 2016
