Friday, May 06, 2022

Mechanic killed after Jeep ‘lurched forward’ following oil change. Vehicle owner sued

Mechanic killed after Jeep ‘lurched forward’ following oil change. Vehicle owner sued
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  • A Jeep Wrangler with a manual transmission was taken to a Michigan car dealership for an oil change and tire rotation, but after the work was complete, court records say the vehicle “lurched forward” as a lube technician tried operating it. The red 2019 Wrangler then crushed mechanic Jeffrey Hawkins against a cabinet on March 13, 2020, records say. He was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries at 42 years old.
  • The owner of the Jeep is being sued in a Michigan circuit court along with the 19-year-old technician accused of operating the vehicle when it crushed Hawkins. The lawsuit filed in March 2021 says vehicle owner Sergio Enrique Diaz-Navarro is “vicariously liable for the negligent acts” of technician Daniel Aleczander Thompson when his use of the vehicle led to the death of a certified mechanic.
  • Attorney David Femminineo, representing the estate of Hawkins, compared the owner’s responsibility in Hawkins’ death to when you lend your car to somebody so they can pick up lunch. If that person was to injure someone with your car, he told McClatchy News you would be liable for any negligent acts that occurred because you gave him or her permission to drive your car.

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