Safety in custom cars

[AutobahnSHO]

https://news.yahoo.com/kevin-hart-likely-file-lawsuit-220541042.html

Interesting stuff is towards the end: Kevin Hart handed keys to a 720hp modified 1970 Plymouth, some girl got in the (non existent seat) back, and friend wrecked it on Mulholland drive, famous for dangerous curves. Car didn't have all the safety equipment modern cars have, gov is considering rules to make custom shops put safety stuff in even if it's not OEM.

[Eye of the Tiger]

https://news.yahoo.com/kevin-hart-likely-file-lawsuit-220541042.html

Interesting stuff is towards the end: Kevin Hart handed keys to a 720hp modified 1970 Plymouth, some girl got in the (non existent seat) back, and friend wrecked it on Mulholland drive, famous for dangerous curves. Car didn't have all the safety equipment modern cars have, gov is considering rules to make custom shops put safety stuff in even if it's not OEM.

Fuck that shit. Shit happens. Don't be an idiot.

[Eye of the Tiger]

If I was the company, I would sue the idiot driver for being and fucking douche fuck idiot.

[Payman]

Fuck that shit. Shit happens. Don't be an idiot.

+1,000,000

[Soup DeVille]

https://news.yahoo.com/kevin-hart-likely-file-lawsuit-220541042.html

Interesting stuff is towards the end: Kevin Hart handed keys to a 720hp modified 1970 Plymouth, some girl got in the (non existent seat) back, and friend wrecked it on Mulholland drive, famous for dangerous curves. Car didn't have all the safety equipment modern cars have, gov is considering rules to make custom shops put safety stuff in even if it's not OEM.

Anybody who pays a shop to do that kind of work should be signing a stack of documents stating that they know that what they're paying for does not meet any current safety regulations, has not been crash tested in that configuration, and has not been tested for handling. The person who pays for such cars needs to assume all
liability.

And honestly; these cars are pretty fucking hairy at 4-500 HP. 700+ on any sort of street tires without traction or stability control on a RWD vehicle: well, you'd damn well better know what you're doing.

[12,000 RPM]

This is not gonna end well for Mr Hart

But hey, it could have been worse:

https://jalopnik.com/man-dies-after-crash-in-home-built-honda-civic-based-ka-1825681533

[CaminoRacer]

I'm still not sure I believe this lawsuit. All the sources/websites I've seen writing about it are xlickbait. Yahoo is the most legit one but that's not saying much and they're probably just copy pasting it

[shp4man]

My truck has no seat belts, one pot master cylinder with drum brakes, no ABS system, a metal dash, a gas tank behind the driver's seat, no clutch safety switch and one speed windshield wipers. And yet, I'm still alive.
It's a miracle! 

[veeman]

It reminds me of the Paul Walker (Fast and Furious guy) lawsuit. He died when he was in a Porsche Carrera GT and his friend was driving like an asshat on public roads and crashed and burned.  Walker's daughter and father both filed lawsuits against Porsche for making a very high hp car with inadequate safety features like no stability control. Porsche settled with both of them (probably for millions but the amount was not disclosed).

I wouldn't be surprised if the car modifier in this case also settles with Hart and his passengers.  Juries are stupid and California juries may be more stupid than the average jury.

[Soup DeVille]

It reminds me of the Paul Walker (Fast and Furious guy) lawsuit. He died when he was in a Porsche Carrera GT and his friend was driving like an asshat on public roads and crashed and burned.  Walker's daughter and father both filed lawsuits against Porsche for making a very high hp car with inadequate safety features like no stability control. Porsche settled with both of them (probably for millions but the amount was not disclosed).

I wouldn't be surprised if the car modifier in this case also settles with Hart and his passengers.  Juries are stupid and California juries may be more stupid than the average jury.

This little speed shop doesn't have the same sort of pockets Porsche does.

[AutobahnSHO]

I'm still not sure I believe this lawsuit. All the sources/websites I've seen writing about it are xlickbait. Yahoo is the most legit one but that's not saying much and they're probably just copy pasting it

Could be. But when a lawyer says they'll win what do plaintiffs have to lose?..

[veeman]

This little speed shop doesn't have the same sort of pockets Porsche does.

A shop doing what they do probably has business liability insurance with a max payout of $1 million or something like that.  Just guessing though.

[MX793]

This little speed shop doesn't have the same sort of pockets Porsche does.

And production cars operate under a different set of rules from modified/custom cars.

[12,000 RPM]

"Lets put all custom shops out of business because Kevin Hart and his friends are idiots"

[Soup DeVille]

It would be naive to think there isn't a contingent in California that would like to outlaw custom cars entirely.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

"Lets put all custom shops out of business because Kevin Hart and his friends are idiots"

[Eye of the Tiger]

A shop doing what they do probably has business liability insurance with a max payout of $1 million or something like that.  Just guessing though.

How liability insurance going to payout when the business delivered exactly what the customer ordered, and which is within the well established norms of the business? If you order a custom toaster without a circuit breaker and then decide to make toast in the bath, your electrocution your own damn fault.

[veeman]

How liability insurance going to payout when the business delivered exactly what the customer ordered, and which is within the well established norms of the business? If you order a custom toaster without a circuit breaker and then decide to make toast in the bath, your electrocution your own damn fault.

Like I said, juries are stupid.  Why did Porsche settle with the Walker family?  He died because his friend drove like an asshat.  But the plaintiffs argued that Porsche new they were making an unsafe car as evidenced by internal emails, blah blah and so forth.  The plaintiffs can argue in this case that the car modifier should have known that modifying a classic car with so much extra horsepower without putting any additional safety features constitutes negligence blah blah and so forth.  Even if the customer wants it that way.  In the end it's all about stupid juries, stupid people, and the mess the U.S. civil justice system is. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Like I said, juries are stupid.  Why did Porsche settle with the Walker family?  He died because his friend drove like an asshat.  But the plaintiffs argued that Porsche new they were making an unsafe car as evidenced by internal emails, blah blah and so forth.  The plaintiffs can argue in this case that the car modifier should have known that modifying a classic car with so much extra horsepower without putting any additional safety features constitutes negligence blah blah and so forth.  Even if the customer wants it that way.  In the end it's all about stupid juries, stupid people, and the mess the U.S. civil justice system is.

Objection!

[RomanChariot]

It would be naive to think there isn't a contingent in California that would like to outlaw custom cars entirely.

It would be naive to think there isn't a contingent in the United States that would like to outlaw cars entirely.

[MrH]

This is a terrible, terrible idea.

[GoCougs]

How liability insurance going to payout when the business delivered exactly what the customer ordered, and which is within the well established norms of the business? If you order a custom toaster without a circuit breaker and then decide to make toast in the bath, your electrocution your own damn fault.

Like I said, juries are stupid.  Why did Porsche settle with the Walker family?  He died because his friend drove like an asshat.  But the plaintiffs argued that Porsche new they were making an unsafe car as evidenced by internal emails, blah blah and so forth.  The plaintiffs can argue in this case that the car modifier should have known that modifying a classic car with so much extra horsepower without putting any additional safety features constitutes negligence blah blah and so forth.  Even if the customer wants it that way.  In the end it's all about stupid juries, stupid people, and the mess the U.S. civil justice system is. 

The settlement, if any, is to avoid the cost, diversion and PR fallout of a lawsuit, esp. for a large well-known corporation like Porsche.

Plenty of small businesses don't carry insurance and have essentially no assets to go after.

In this case, those only remotely connected with the incident - from the government entity in charge of the road, to the suppliers of components, to Hart himself, will pay.

[Eye of the Tiger]

If the comapny had mounted a Pratt & Whitney 6000 turbofan jet engine on the roof of the car and then said go ahead and drive it, then I could see a potential lawsuit. Maybe. But this 'Cuda was a beautifully built, and thoroughly capable machine. The driver just did not respect it.

[Eye of the Tiger]

In the future: custom "one-off" car builders will have to build several identical cars for crash testing purposes.

[Soup DeVille]

In the future: custom "one-off" car builders will have to build several identical cars for crash testing purposes.

Or like I said, have a phone book sized stack of legal disclaimers that need to be signed before making the order.

[Soup DeVille]

How liability insurance going to payout when the business delivered exactly what the customer ordered, and which is within the well established norms of the business? If you order a custom toaster without a circuit breaker and then decide to make toast in the bath, your electrocution your own damn fault.

Toaster have circuit breakers in them now?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Toaster have circuit breakers in them now?

Probably not. But anything could happen.... In the year 2000.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Or like I said, have a phone book sized stack of legal disclaimers that need to be signed before making the order.

How about I just sign the phone book?

[giant_mtb]

This is the equivalent of suing McDonald's because you spilled your hot coffee.

[CaminoRacer]

This is the equivalent of suing McDonald's because you spilled your hot coffee.

That lawsuit isn't nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be.