Recalled vehicles.
The FL LEGAL GROUP team has been vigilant in trying to shed light on the dangers of ignoring auto recalls. There was the February recall of 51 million vehicles, a December 2015 church van crash, and the list goes on. In wake of a freak accident that killed beloved actor Anton Yelchin, we are reminded to never ignore recalls (via Time).
The vehicle involved in a freak accident that killed the 27-year-old Star Trek actor on Sunday was part of a safety recall the government issued two months ago. He was best known for playing Chekov in the new Star Trek films and was crushed by his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee in his driveway about 1 a.m. When he got out of his SUV, it rolled backward down a steep driveway and pinned him against a brick mailbox and a security fence, Kim said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in late April warned drivers of a defect in the model, involving its monostable gear selector. The electronic shifter, which has a button to change gears instead of requiring drivers to physically move a lever, could cause drivers to mistakenly believe their vehicle is in park, when it is actually in neutral or drive, the federal safety agency said.
“Drivers erroneously concluding that their vehicle’s transmission in the park position may be struck by the vehicle and injured if they attempt to get out of the vehicle while the engine is running and the parking brake is not engaged,” the NHTSA said in its safety recall report. Yelchin’s model of Jeep was part of the recall, according to the New York Times.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles affected in the recall were produced between July 16, 2012 and Dec. 22, 2015, according to the recall report. It’s unclear if Yelchin’s vehicle was made during that time frame, or whether it was produced later in 2015. Police are working to determine which gear his car was in during the accident and whether the vehicle’s engine was running when his body was found, Kim said.
Please contact the attorneys at FL Legal Group with any questions pertaining to this issue, or to get help with other legal matters.
Call 1-800-984-9951 or you can reach us by sending a message – Click Here .