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Michigan Car Owner Sued After Jeep Kills Mechanic During Oil Change

I had a recall notice to have my 2015 Durango's computer upgraded so that transmission would not go into gear with a door open. Mine was automatic, though. This was after a Star Trek actor was crushed by his Grand Cherokee.
 
Did anybody actually read this?

It says the dealership hired someone to operate the vehicle who had no drivers license and could not operate a manual.
Further, ....it says "So in reality, the owner is going to be held responsible, but the dealership’s insurance company is paying," Femminineo told McClatchy News.

So the owner of the car will not be financially liable, as it should be. It will be the dealership that hired an unlicensed/untrained driver to operate the vehicle. The anticipated fault here does not seem misplaced to me. Employees under law are generally indemnified by their employer unless they are grossly negligent or willful in causing harm.
 
I am not a 'sue you for my troubles" type guy. BUT, if the owner has to shell out bucks, big or small, in his defense of this lawsuit, I hope he counter sues the crap out of whoever receives a big settlement in the original case.....geeezzzz.
 
The judge who allows this is the problem.... Time to purge the " weirdo's, Losers. and Mutations who are destroying our system
 
Its just a way to get around a law that protects companies from being sued. The work around is stupid. I'll be most of us would say to change the law.
 
This crap reminds me of trying to get the front end aligned on my 65 Impala SS. the garage that was going to do it insisted that I allow this youngster to hop in and drive the car onto the lift. I declined. They asked me why? I asked them, tell me what is the highest horsepower car this kid has ever driven? They replied probably 300 or so. Well, my 454 was around 534hp. Very stiff clutch, heavy lope to the idle. I told the kid to hop in out in the parking lot and if he could move the car 30 feet without either stalling it, burning rubber, or frying the clutch I would allow him to pull it in. He did all three, in three tries. I rested my case. I drove it onto the lift and off when they finished.
 
I always remind my shop, NO NEUTRAL SAFETY. It will drive into the Viper I’m parked behind if you light it in gear. My trusted shop lets me position over the lift most times.
 
This is an insanity!!!!!!

After reading “The way” it was started, it seems like ILL trained Dodge employees. “This!” Should have never happened. IMO, “From what I just read”, these employees should not only be not working for Dodge, but the dealership should be held liable for the customers “New Vehicle” and the firing of the employees involved.

The vehicle (any vehicle) should have had its emergency brakes on, the driver fully in the car with no one in front of him while he first depressed there clutch and brake pedal & checked that the gear shifter was in neutral before he started the car and then and only then slowly released the clutch pedal.

This below is the statement taken and NOT the way to start any manual transmission car ever!

Thompson reached into the vehicle and pressed brake with his right foot, keeping his other foot on the floor," the plaintiff summary reads. "He pressed the start button. When the vehicle did not start, he took his foot off the brake and depressed the clutch pedal. He again hit the start button. This time the Jeep started. He removed his foot from the clutch, still standing outside the vehicle. The vehicle lurched forward."
 
nucken' futts
people sue for anything & everything

usually, go after the defendant with the deepest pockets
frivolous BS, we need 'Tort Reform'

shouldn't have even been able to file against the Jeep owner
he had nothing to do with the "episode" in question
it was on the dealership property, by an active employee
from said dealership, he's not culpable or liable,
the employee is & the dealership is

Seems like logic/common sense & courts/justice systems today
don't mix anymore, too many douches as DAs or AGs
 
Sue the manufacturer. If this were one of our old Mopar I can understand start and in gear. With all the safety crap built into vehicle's today why is this even an issue.
 
How is this different than say you buy a brand new vehicle and the brakes go out while your driving home? Yes you are the driver. Do you have the right to work on that vehicle? Is the dealership responsible for not catching the problem during prep? Is the manufacturer responsible for the manufacturing of it? Is the shipper responsible if damaged during shipping?
Ah but you were the owner. Yep nail his butt to the wall. Think this is something that needs to be answered with all the new yes you bought it but no you don't own it contracts.
 
Its the law. It was passed to protect the company and their employees and to allow growth. The only recourse was to go after the owner. See if it works. It might. The only people who pay are the insurance companies and then I bet those rates go up.
 
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