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Anton Yelchin’s Parents Plan To Sue Fiat Chrysler For Wrongful Death

By Niki Cruz
Published on: 11:24 PST, Aug 1, 2016

Anthon Yelchin’s parents are planning to sue Fiat Chrysler for the wrongful death of their son. The Star Trek star died tragically on Father’s Day in June, when he was crushed by his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

When Yelchin didn’t show up to a meeting, friends showed up to his house and found the actor pinned against the car to his security gate. An autopsy later found that Anton died within 60 seconds from blunt force asphyxia. It’s said that the Jeep Grand Cherokee crushed the actor’s lungs.

Following the news of Yelchin’s death, a report was released that the popular SUV was recalled after a faulty gear shift issue that made drivers think their cars were in park. It’s suspected that Yelchin had a faulty vehicle, and the car wasn’t in park as intended, making the car roll onto Yelchin when he stepped out of his car, and to his security gate. We don’t know why the actor stepped out of his car, but many suspect that he thought it was in park and went down to check his mail, seeing as the mailbox was near the security gate.

A recall report stated the following.

“Drivers erroneously concluding that their vehicle’s transmission is 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.”

TMZ reports, that Yelchin’s parents are now looking to sue on behalf of their only child. Not only are they suing Fiat Chrysler but they’re also going after the manufacturer of the vehicle, which is located in ZF North America. In addition, they’re suing AutoNation, a car retailer chain, which is where Anton Yelchin purchased the faulty car.

According to the family lawyer, Yelchin’s parents are looking for “punitive damages for the wrongful death of their son due to significant defects.”

While we found out most details about Anton’s death, and it’s sure to be a rough road, legally speaking, for his parents, Yelchin’s mother and father did take their time to thank everyone for their supportive well wishes after the sudden passing of their son. To thank everyone, including people in the industry who spoke out, his parents decided to take out a full page ad in the Hollywood Reporter.

The letter was short but heartfelt and powerful, and featured a stunning black and white photo of the actor. Underneath the glossy photo the letter said the following.

“Thank you to all of you who have sent flowers and gifts, for your condolences and kind words and to all who came to celebrate the life of our dear son, Anton. We are deeply grateful for your unconditional love for him. He would be surprised at how many hearts and souls he touched. Thank you very much.”

As stated, following his death, many of his colleagues spoke out in shock and sadness when they heard of the tragic news.

Zachary Quinto, who co-starred in three Star Trek films with Yelchin, opened up on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

“I don’t even know how to talk about it. We already knew this was going to be a bittersweet experience as a result of the loss of Leonard [Nimoy]. But this has been absolutely devastating for all of us. I think our goal just has to be to celebrate his incredible life and honor him. It was a terrible loss, not only to us, but to audiences and the industry.”

Later on, J.J. Abrams, the director of the Star Trek franchise, put fans at ease when he revealed that Anton would not be replaced in the role of Chekov and that there would be no recasting for the fourth film.

“I would say there’s no replacing him. There’s no recasting. I can’t possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better.”

Following his death, J.J. paid tribute to the young actor by writing a handwritten note.

[Photo by AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File]

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