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| A 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee of the type involved in Anton Yelchin's death. Photo: EEIM |
The parents of 27 year old Star Trek star Anton Yelchin, who died in June after being hit by his own jeep, have filed a lawsuit against manufacturer Fiat Chrysler. They are alleging wrongful death due to a fault with the vehicle's monostable gear selector.
It has emerged that Fiat Chrysler were aware of problems with the gear selector in the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and had issued a recall for the vehicles in July last year. It is not uncommon, however, for recalls in the industry to take one to three years to process, even when there is a serious breach of regulations or the fault could be dangerous. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in June that it has received hundreds of complaints about the fault. 226 accidents allegedly relating to it have been reported, with 70 people injured.
As well as expressing concern about the fault, the Yelchins' lawyer, Gary Dordick, noted in the suit that the jeep "has an unfamiliar movement that is not intuitive and that provides poor tactile and visual feedback to drivers, increasing the potential for unintended gear selection and vehicle rollaway."
Speaking at a press conference, Viktor and Irina Yelchin described their son as a simple and generous person who would have been surprised to learn how many people were moved by his death.
