Anton Yelchin received his Jeep recall notice seven days after his death.
Anton Yelchin
The 27-year-old actor died in a freak accident at his Los Angeles home in June when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards, crushing him against a security gate, and his parents have now filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler - who manufactured Anton's car.
Gary Dordick, attorney for Irina and Victor Yelchin, said: "It appears that Anton went back to his house to retrieve something. He left his vehicle and was on his way out at the time, believing his vehicle was in park.
"The safety recall was way too little and way too late. They should have never used this device."
Fiat Chrysler issued a voluntary recall of the vehicle after a report earlier this year found that the gear-shift design made it difficult to tell what gear the vehicle is in, meaning drivers were unwittingly leaving their cars in neutral but thinking it was in park.
And 'Star Trek Beyond' star Anton's parents revealed their decision to sue Fiat Chrysler is an attempt to prevent other families from facing the same tragedy as them.
Victor said: "With unbelievable grief, we decided to come here to prevent other families with the same tragedy. Anton was our only son - a remarkable human being. It's against nature when a parent has to bury their own child."
Irina added: "He never cared about being a star. He loved life very much. ... His death is gonna save some other life."
In a statement from Fiat Chrysler on Tuesday, the auto manufacturer said: "FCA US LLC extends its sympathies to the Yelchin family for their tragic loss. The Company has not been served with a lawsuit and cannot comment further at this time.
"FCA US urges customers to follow the instructions in their owner manuals and the information cards sent with their recall notices. These instructions include advising customers to set the parking brakes in their vehicles before exiting."
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