Summary: The family of Anton Yelchin settled their wrongful death lawsuit with the makers of the Jeep Grand Cherokee that killed him.
Actor Anton Yelchin died in June of 2016 when his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled forward and crushed him at his home. This week, it was announced that they had settled their wrongful death lawsuit against the car’s maker for an undisclosed sum.
Months after Anton’s death, Yelchin’s parents, Viktor and Irina, sued Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for the wrongful death of their son, 27. On Thursday, the carmaker issued a statement to Entertainment Tonight that they had reached an “amicable resolution.”
“We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to the Yelchin family for their tragic loss,” Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said.
The Star Trek actor was killed by his Jeep when it unexpectedly rolled down his driveway and pinned him against the fence and mailbox of his Los Angeles home. Yelchin’s parent said that Anton was on his way to a rehearsal the night he died. When he didn’t show up, his colleagues went to his house and found him dead in the early morning.
Yelchin’s parents said that the Jeep Grand Cherokee had a defective gear shift that caused it to slide when owners thought it was in park. Anton’s death sparked a class-action lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler over the faulty gear shift, and the automobile maker recalled over 1 million vehicles. According to ET, the gear shift had caused more than 300 deaths.
Yelchin’s parents filed the wrongful death lawsuit in August of 2016 against Fiat Chrysler.
“Anton Yelchin was crushed and lingered alive for some time, trapped and suffocating until his death,” their lawsuit stated.
Yelchin’s family was represented by attorney Gary Dordick, according to the Washington Post. His family said that the money will go towards a foundation set up in Anton’s name and towards a documentary about the actor’s life.
“The mission of the Foundation is to empower and support young people engaged in creative arts who face career challenges due to debilitating disease or disability,” the family said.
Yelchin starred in several movies, and he was best known for his role in Star Trek. His co-star, John Cho, expressed his condolences after the actor was killed in 2016.
“He was a young man who was just starting to become what he was going to become,” said Cho.
According to the Washington Post, Yelchin’s 2015 Jeep Cherokee was recalled two months before his death because of the faulty gear shift. Authorities said that when they found the actor dead, his car had been idling in neutral.
“With a regular gearstick, drivers choose a transmission option (park, reverse, neutral, drive, etc.) by moving the stick into the corresponding notch or detent. Drivers can feel the stick settle into position,” the Washington Post stated. “But a new, different, design was used in the cars affected by the recall, which include certain recent models of the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.”
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