Connecticut Dealership Sued In Connection With Fatal Accident

An independent dealership in Connecticut is facing a lawsuit after a fatal vehicle accident. The crash didn’t involve dealership employees or happen on dealership property, however, the family attorney for one of the individuals killed filed suit against the dealer.

This past February, Jeremy Rucker, 24, of Naugatuck, Connecticut and 23-year-old Michael Maldonado of Waterbury, Connecticut were killed in a head-on collision with a school bus. The cause of the accident is unknown, but the family attorney is suiting the dealership that owns the 2006 Dodge Dakota that they were driving. The accident occurred on a straight stretch of road near route 8 in Nagatuck, Connecticut. The dealership that’s being sued is a used store called A Better Way Wholesale Autos.

The Dodge Dakota had an onboard computer that allowed vehicle tracking. Using the computer data, authorities were able to see that the vehicle crashed while traveling 34 miles per hour and the two men headed to the local dump right before the eventual crash. Witnesses report the truck flatly crossed into oncoming traffic, that there wasn’t a swerve at all. Rucker was found with his cellphone in his pocket and authorities have no clear indication if distracted driving was a factor in the crash.

The dealership is being sued because they own the vehicle and it was potentially mechanically faulty. However, the truck was so badly mangled that no mechanical cause for the accident was found. In an interview with the local Citizen’s News newspaper, Rucker’s mother noted issues with the vehicle. In an interview, Rucker’s mother said, “Rucker said he always got bad vehicles to drive; he never got a well-maintained or nice car.” Rucker’s mother also noted that he had complained about issues with the vehicle, including its handling. The dealer sued in connection with the crash has to this point declined to comment on this story.

Has your store ever been sued after an accident involving a vehicle that you sold? Do you think dealers are typically well prepared for the public relations and legal challenges of this type of incident?