Photo: Instagram / Kevin Hart
On September 1, comedian Kevin Hart and 2 other people were injured when his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda careened off the road and went into a ditch. All 3 are now recovering from their injuries – and lawyering up.
Hart was in the front passenger seat when the car crashed, and both he and the driver suffered significant back injuries. The driver’s exact condition is not known, but Hart underwent several surgeries and is looking at a long stretch in rehab to be able to make a full recovery. Meanwhile, the woman in the backseat only suffered minor injuries.
According to reports, both men would have suffered smaller injuries had the car been fitted with a proper 5-point seatbelt. It only had lap belts, which caused the severe back injuries in the 2 men at the moment of impact. The CHP is still investigating the crash and tearing apart the Baracuda in view of possibly introducing new safety laws for restored or customized classic cars, and TMZ is reporting that the crash could prompt lawsuits against Hart and the company responsible for the customization as well.
All 3 passengers in the car have lawyered up, with sources familiar with the situation telling the publication that Hart will most likely be sued for failing to consider the passengers’ safety, which he sacrificed in other to keep the car authentic. As such, he acted negligently and could be held accountable.
The other party liable for a lawsuit is the company that did the restoration work on the Baracuda, as per the same media outlet. “The argument goes like this: the company is the expert and even if Kevin wanted a custom job without safety harnesses, the company should have refused the job because it wasn't safe, especially with a powerful, 720 horsepower engine,” TMZ says.
However, it should be noted that the company worked on a privately-owned vehicle, a personal car. In such a case, the responsibility for the passengers’ safety falls on the owner / driver.
According to reports, both men would have suffered smaller injuries had the car been fitted with a proper 5-point seatbelt. It only had lap belts, which caused the severe back injuries in the 2 men at the moment of impact. The CHP is still investigating the crash and tearing apart the Baracuda in view of possibly introducing new safety laws for restored or customized classic cars, and TMZ is reporting that the crash could prompt lawsuits against Hart and the company responsible for the customization as well.
All 3 passengers in the car have lawyered up, with sources familiar with the situation telling the publication that Hart will most likely be sued for failing to consider the passengers’ safety, which he sacrificed in other to keep the car authentic. As such, he acted negligently and could be held accountable.
The other party liable for a lawsuit is the company that did the restoration work on the Baracuda, as per the same media outlet. “The argument goes like this: the company is the expert and even if Kevin wanted a custom job without safety harnesses, the company should have refused the job because it wasn't safe, especially with a powerful, 720 horsepower engine,” TMZ says.
However, it should be noted that the company worked on a privately-owned vehicle, a personal car. In such a case, the responsibility for the passengers’ safety falls on the owner / driver.
Google News