On the morning of June 19, Anton Yelchin was found dead outside his home in Studio City, California.
The 27-year-old – best known for his work in the blockbuster Star Trek reboot – was killed in what’s been described as a “freak accident.”
The actor’s 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards in his driveway and pinned the actor against a security gate.
Yelchin’s autopsy indicated that he died almost instantly.
Just days after the tragedy, a class action suit was filed against Fiat Chrysler claiming that the Cherokee had a faulty gear shift that made drivers think the car is in park when it’s actually in neutral.
Now, Yelchin’s parents have filed their own lawsuit against carmaker under the belief that the company’s failure to recall the vehicle directly resulted in their son’s death.
According to TMZ, the Yelchins are also suing the AutoNation car retail chain, which is presumably where Anton purchased the car.
An attorney for the couple would not specify the amount the Yelchins are seeking in damages, but did confirm that they’re suing “for the wrongful death of their son due to significant defects.”
Considering the high-profile nature of the case and the fact that the manufacturing defect in the Cherokee has been well-documented, the company will likely seek to settle out of court.
In addition to his work as Chekov in the three most recent Star Trek films (including the one that’s currently in theaters), Yelchin had built up an impressive and greatly varied body of work for someone so young.
As at home in indie films as he was in big-budget studio tentpoles, Yelchin gained the attention of critics in such beloved films as Alpha Dog, Charlie Bartlett and Green Room.
Celebrities from all forms of media expressed their condolences on social media in the days following his passing.
Yelchin’s friend and former co-star Justin Timberlake described him as a “genius actor, amazing human being.”
