THR Anton Yelchin HARG0743 - H 2016
Austin HargraveAnton Yelchin’s parents say Fiat Chrysler is responsible for the crash that killed their son, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior court that was first reported by the Associated Press.
The 27-year-old Star Trek actor died June 19 after his Jeep rolled backward while he was standing behind it, pinning him between the vehicle and a pillar and security fence.
His parents, Irina and Victor Yelchin, say a defect in the vehicle’s design is to blame for their son’s death and are suing for unspecified damages.
“Anton Yelchin was crushed and lingered alive for some time, trapped and suffocating until his death,” reports the AP, citing the lawsuit.
The family attorney Gary Dordick says Yelchin received a safety recall notice in May and another notice was sent to him a week after he died saying the company had a fix for the gear shifter, according to the AP.
This comes on the heels of a $5 million class action lawsuit filed against the company, which also claims a dangerously defective gear shifter caused Yelchin’s death and more than 300 other incidents. That proposed class includes all persons who purchased or leased a 2012-14 Dodge Charger, 2012-14 Chrysler 300 or 2014-15 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Fiat’s response to that lawsuit is due no later than Sept. 8.
