Yahoo Finance Camaro ZL1 Goes in for Service, Dealership Employee Wrecks It Instead, Lawsuit Claims
There's a certain degree of trust needed to drop off your car at a dealership; you have to know they're going to take care of it. Sadly, however, ne too many stories of service technicians gone wild have eroded the social contract between owner and dealer, especially for those who own high-performance models.
These nightmares have become such a reality that a man named Kenny Habul reportedly provided specific instructions stating that his 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Hendrick Edition was not, under any circumstances, to be driven off the lot by any employees of H & L Chevrolet in Darien, Connecticut. According to a lawsuit filed in Stamford District Superior Court, however, Habul's request was not obeyed.
After bringing in his custom-tuned, 6.2 liter supercharged V-8 Camaro ZL1 because it wouldn't start, the folks at H & L Chevrolet were supposed to replace a faulty clutch switch. Instead, the lawsuit alleges that service adviser Matthew Sebastian took the muscle car on a wild joy ride, hitting up to 89 mph on I-95 before losing control and impacting the shoulder guardrail. The driver — alleged to be Sebastian — was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Post-crash analysis of the onboard factory track data recorder shows the accelerator was depressed 95 percent a mere three seconds before the crash, which ultimately totaled the limited edition model. Valued at $97,000 in a recent appraisal, Habul had never driven the Hendricks Edition Camaro on the road before, instead keeping it as a collector's vehicle. Prior to the crash, the model only had 989 miles.
"According to the policeman who investigated the crash, the road was clear and there was no debris on the pavement other than that which resulted from the accident," the initial complaint reads.
Sebastian was also cited for failure to maintain in his lane, according to a police report obtained by Automotive News. Based on the onboard data recorder and police statements, this sounds like a classic case of too much power and not enough care in how it was applied. Or, in the words of the complaint, Sebastian's driving was " deliberate and reckless" and his actions amounted to " highly unreasonable conduct".
Initially filed on June 17, Habul is seeking full restitution for the value of his Hendricks Edition Camaro as well as court costs and punitive damages. Similarly, the lawsuit asserts that H & L Chevrolet is on the hook for Sebastian's action, as he was an employee and agent of the dealership at the time of the crash.
You Might Also Like
