The parents of “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin have filed suit against Jeep manufacturer FCA US, saying that the company was at fault for the death of Yelchin at age 27 in June.
In the wrongful-death suit filed Tuesday, Victor and Irina Yelchin claim that the gear selector in Yelchin’s Jeep was defective, leading to Yelchin’s death.
“Anton Yelchin was crushed and lingered alive for some time, trapped and suffocating until his death,” the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, reads.
Yelchin was killed after his car pinned him between a brick mailbox and a security gate at his Studio City, California, home.
Yelchin reportedly owned a late-model Jeep Grand Cherokee, which might have been one of the vehicles subjected to a voluntary recall due to a risk of “rollaway.”
“Plaintiffs … allege that the Subject Vehicle along with the Subject Gear Selector failed to meet the reasonable expectations of safety for the class of persons of which Decedent and Plaintiffs were members,” the complaint reads.
The suit claims that Yelchin’s parents have “incurred substantial funeral and burial expenses” and have suffered “the loss of Decedent’s love, companionship, guidance, comfort, society, solace, moral support financial support and physical assistance.”
“FCA US LLC extends its sympathies to the Yelchin family for their tragic loss. The Company has not been served with a lawsuit and cannot comment further at this time,” FCA told TheWrap in a statement. “FCA US urges customers to follow the instructions in their owners 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.”
Alleging negligent product liability, breach of warranty and negligence (wrongful death and personal injuries), the suit seeks unspecified damages.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.