In the 1960s, the Motown sound emanated from the capital of the automobile industry, and its melodies blared from the car radios of the generation for which having a car was synonymous with the glamour and optimism of youth. In the subsequent decades, American culture witnessed several nostalgic odes to the golden age of the automobile, from the musical Grease and the film American Graffiti to virtually anything recorded by Bruce Springsteen. Never mind that James Dean, pop culture’s most iconic image of engine-revving cool, never made it to his 30th birthday, or that the song “Leader of the Pack” makes little sense to anyone born after 1970. Cars today are not as cool looking as they were in the old days, but they are much safer. It is still possible to find cars that look and feel just like they did in the days when automobiles were the height of fashion, but from a legal standpoint, if you choose to ride in an old school cool car, you do so at your own peril. If you have been injured in an accident involving a retro automobile, contact a Santa Clara County car accident lawyer.
Kevin Hart says in his standup routines that he is not a fighter, and his character in Central Intelligence is something of a nebbish, but if there is a showy side to Hart’s personality, it is evident in his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. Despite being nine years older than Hart, the vehicle is as gorgeous as the day it debuted, or at least, it was until it wrecked. It had all of its original features and no later innovations. Therefore, it had 1970-style seatbelts (lap belt only, with no shoulder harness) and no airbags.
On September 1, Kevin Hart and two other people were riding in the Barracuda when it veered off the road and slid down an embankment near Calabasas. Hart, who was riding in the front passenger seat, suffered a back injury and was hospitalized for ten days. The driver and backseat passenger also sustained serious injuries. The accident presents a legal quandary. Hart could have sued the driver for negligence, because the driver’s error caused the accident. Meanwhile, the driver and backseat passenger could have also had a case against Hart. As the car’s owner, Hart is legally responsible for it. The fact that Hart intentionally equipped the car with 1970s features instead of making it comply with current safety standards could strengthen the plaintiffs’ case against him. While the driver, Jared Black, announced plans to file a lawsuit last fall, no recent reports are available on the outcome of the case.
A San Jose car accident lawyer can help you if you have been injured in an accident involving a car that made up for in style what it lacked in safety. Contact Solution Now Law Firm for help with your case.
Resource:
jalopnik.com/after-crash-kevin-hart-may-be-sued-for-not-having-mode-1838333084
tmz.com/2019/09/21/kevin-hart-lawsuit-certain-car-crash-custom-muscle-injuries/
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