Anton Yelchin’s Family Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Published on March 23, 2018.

Photo by Andrew Walker/Variety/REX/Shutterstock

More than a year and a half after the tragic death of 27-year-old actor Anton Yelchin, his family has settled their wrongful death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

While the details of the settlement have been sealed, reports indicate that the Star Trek actor’s parents Victor and Irina Yelchin settled their suit against the automaker after Yelchin was crushed in his own driveway by his Jeep Grand Cherokee.

“FCA US is pleased that we’ve reached an amicable resolution in this matter,” a representative for the company said in a statement to The Los Angeles Times on Thursday, March 22. “The details of the settlement are confidential. We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to the Yelchin family for their tragic loss.”

Yelchin died on June 19, 2016 after he got out of his Jeep to presumably check his mailbox at which time the vehicle rolled backward and crush him against the mailbox and gate outside of his home. At the time Yelchin’s particular model of Jeep was under recall because of a “defective” gearshift in which owners thought they put their vehicle in park but it was only in neutral, and the actor had not yet taken his vehicle in for the recall.

Yelchin’s untimely passing also prompted a $5 million class-action lawsuit from owners whose Jeeps were included in the 1.1 million vehicle recall linked to the faulty gearshift. The lawsuit claimed more than 300 deaths, including Yelchin’s, were caused by the “vehicle’s gearshift design.”

Following their son’s death, Yelchin’s parents thanked fans in a message: “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,” the Yelchins’ message reads. “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.”

His family also launched the Anton Yelchin Foundation in 2017 to honor the star. The foundation seeks to help young artists who are facing challenges in their career because of disease or disability.