The car crash that resulted in Kevin Hart’s 1970 Plymouth Barracuda turning into a twisted tangle of metal has reportedly turned into grounds for litigation.
As the “Night School” star continues to recover from his serious injuries from the collision, TMZ reported Saturday that he and the other two people in the vehicle have retained attorneys.
Hart, who underwent successful back surgery following the Sept. 1 collision, is reportedly going to get sued by the driver of the muscle car and the other passenger who was riding in the back seat. The accident occurred when the classic car swerved off the road in Malibu, California, after the driver, Hart’s friend Jared Black, lost control and crashed the automobile through a wooden fence in the early hours of the morning.
At the time, Hart walked to his nearby home after the crash despite a woman who identified herself as Hart’s wife Eniko Parrish later telling a 911 operator “something on his back is pulling out on his spine.” Meanwhile, TMZ reported Black and his fiancée Rebecca Broxterman, who was the other passenger in the Barracuda, had injuries they blame on the lack of safety harnesses and airbags in the car. The parties allegedly plan to argue that Hart should have had those features installed instead of putting the authenticity of the car on a higher priority list, which they purportedly believe constitutes negligence. Black had serious back and chest injuries that required him to be airlifted from the crash while Broxterman had minor injuries and was able to walk away.
Additionally, Black may face a suit as he’s responsible for Hart and Broxterman as passengers, but TMZ reported it’s too close to call since the California Highway Patrol is still investigating the matter.
But the lawsuit situation could get bigger as litigation could be filed against the custom car company responsible for Hart’s classic vehicle. The thought is that since the company is the expert, they should have refused Hart’s request to have a custom car sans safety harnesses since not having them is a threat to passenger’s safety. This is especially imperative since the vehicle packs a 720 horsepower engine.
Sources with law enforcement told the celebrity news and gossip site CHP could possibly lobby the California State Assembly to halt custom car companies from not including safety harnesses even if it’s the customer’s request.
A day before talk of a lawsuit bubbled up, it was reported that Hart had arrived home after going through extensive rehab in an inpatient treatment facility. Hart had to remain hospitalized for 10 days after an operation to repair three spinal fractures. Sources claimed that while the actor was “grateful” to come home, he was “shocked” to be alive following the crash.
