Devastated family release video of mother being run over and killed by her Range Rover as they sue over ‘defective gear selector that caused accident’
- WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Shadi Farhat, 41, died in 2018 when her Range Rover SUV ran over her in Los Angeles
- The mother-of-two thought she had left the car in park but it rolled back over her
- Her widower Michael is suing Jaguar Land Rover over the gear dial
- He claims the company was aware of potential accidents from the gear selector
A widower is suing Jaguar Land Rover over a ‘defective gear selector’ after his wife was run over and killed by her own luxury SUV which she thought had been left in park.
Shadi Farhat, 41, stepped out of her 2017 Range Rover SUV when it started rolling back, trapping her underneath the wheel in the horrific footage shared by the family with CBS as part of the lawsuit.
The mother-of-two from Los Angeles made it to her feet before collapsing and she died days later in the 2018 accident.
A widower is suing Jaguar Land Rover over a ‘defective gear selector’ after his wife Shadi Farhat was run over and killed by her own luxury SUV
Her husband Michael, who is now raising their two daughters alone, blames the gear selector which uses a dial instead of a stick.
He has taken legal action against Jaguar Land Rover over the ‘defective gear selector’ which he claims can cause confusion for drivers.
He told CBS News: ‘She complained about it a lot, ‘I can’t tell when it’s in park, I can’t tell if it’s in reverse, I can’t tell if it’s in drive’.’
Michael cited company documents from 2017 in his lawsuit which purport to show the company was aware of hundreds of potential rollaway complaints in cars with a dial shifter.
The mother-of-two from Los Angeles made it to her feet before collapsing and she died days after the 2018 accident
Her husband Michael, who is now raising their two daughters alone, blames the gear selector which uses a dial instead of a stick
He claims 28 complaints alone occurred in the Range Rover model.
Gina Warsavsky says she suffered a similar accident last month when her SUV knocked her over and ran over her right hand, which left her needing reconstructive surgery.
She said she thought she had left the car in park when she got out and it started reversing towards her.
Gina, who us also suing Jaguar Land Rover, said: ‘It was horrific. It was a nightmare that is forever haunting me.’
Michael has taken legal action against Jaguar Land Rover over the ‘defective gear selector’ which he claims can cause confusion for drivers
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has spent nearly four years investigating unintended rollaways involving a dial shifter in Jaguar Land Rover cars.
They ended their investigation in August after failing to identify any mechanical or electronic faults, instead blaming ‘operator error’.
In court filings, Land Rover has also denied fault and said the accidents were the fault of the drivers.
The NHTSA said it is still monitoring the issue and they will take further action if new information surfaces.
Michael, pictured with his family, cited company documents from 2017 in his lawsuit which purport to show the company was aware of hundreds of potential rollaway complaints
Attorney Dylan Ruga, who is representing both Farhat and Warsavsky, said: ‘Drivers are confused and Land Rover knows that drivers are confused. And this unfortunately is the inevitable result of what happens when people think the car is in park and it is not.’
Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin died in a suspected rollaway accident in 2016 when his Jeep Grand Cherokee trapped him against a brick pillar.
After the incident, many carmakers added new safety features to prevent similar accidents, but Land Rover only added the feature in 2018 to hybrid Range Rovers.
The company declined to comment to CBS on the incidents due to ongoing legal action.
But they said in a statement: ‘Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC is committed to the safety of our customers and is saddened to hear of these incidents. As this matter is now related to pending litigation, we are unable to comment further.’
The NHTSA encourages vehicle owners to report and safety related defects online or through the agency’s hotline at 888-327-4236.