Can you believe this story?

[Thomas]

Not surprise.

 

[RoyJackson]

Maybe a countersuit against the dealership (they're the ones who should have confirmed the mechanic was competent), the mechanic's' family (who initiated the lawsuit} ...as well as the lawyers who filed the stupid lawsuit
My guess is the lawyers who filed the lawsuit are the most complicit in this travesty

 

[Jstpssng]

The Automobile Dealers Association is one of the strongest lobby/special interest groups in the US.

There is a huge difference between an individual borrowing your car and a business taking possession of your car as part of the normal course of business. The owner of the Jeep has zero fault here unless he made some modification to the Jeep that was unknown to the dealership.

The fault lies with the employee who did not know how to drive a stick. His pockets are not deep, so lawyers go after the owner to get at the dealership. Moronic laws. The owner will still have to be involved in something for which he did nothing wrong. In this crazy world, he should be able to sue the state for putting the business ahead of the individual. How is the guy going to feel knowing his Jeep killed someone? Smh

He also didn't have a license. Probably not required to drive on private property, yet that still is an indication of knowing how to drive.
How many 19 YOs know how to drive a standard, anyways? I know that some will sound off about how your son/daughter has been driving one since the age of 3, yet that's a vast minority.

 

[Pixguy]

Imagine in our day being 19 and not having your license? I couldn't wait at 16 to have my independence and yet today I've known dozens of 17-25 yo's who don't have an interest in driving and I'm talking in rural NH and ME, not in the cities. Very odd to me.

 

[Oaktree]

He also didn't have a license. Probably not required to drive on private property, yet that still is an indication of knowing how to drive.
How many 19 YOs know how to drive a standard, anyways? I know that some will sound off about how your son/daughter has been driving one since the age of 3, yet that's a vast minority.

For that matter, how many 40 year olds today know how to drive a stick? Very few.
I'm surprised the dealer hired someone with no license to work as a mechanic. An acquaintance of mine got let go from a dealership when he lost his for DWI...if he couldn't drive he wasn't much use to them. Not sure if that was a company policy or a state law.
Then again, it's hard to find good help these days and maybe the 19 year old was a promising mechanic so they looked the other way.

I would guess that in a state that's synonymous with the auto industry, there are a lot of state laws protecting that industry, even when they're clearly responsible/at fault.
I feel bad for the Jeep's owners. Even if they were successfully able to collect from the dealership, there was still the hassle/expense of suing the dealership themselves. Likewise, how much of the fact that they were sued will continue to dog them for the rest of their lives by those who don't read the entire story?

 

[Pixguy]

He also didn't have a license. Probably not required to drive on private property, yet that still is an indication of knowing how to drive.
How many 19 YOs know how to drive a standard, anyways? I know that some will sound off about how your son/daughter has been driving one since the age of 3, yet that's a vast minority.

Wouldn't you think that the dealers contract with Chrysler would include not having unlicensed drivers working on the lot.

 

[Jstpssng]

Wouldn't you think that the dealers contract with Chrysler would include not having unlicensed drivers working on the lot.

I don't know. That's not something I've ever had to be concerned about.

 

[Torvy]

He also didn't have a license. Probably not required to drive on private property, yet that still is an indication of knowing how to drive.
How many 19 YOs know how to drive a standard, anyways? I know that some will sound off about how your son/daughter has been driving one since the age of 3, yet that's a vast minority.

Haha...my kids (18-24) X 4 can all drive a stick...we specifically bought a manual to avoid having friends 'borrow' the car.

Based on an informal poll of my HS students, it is probably 5% or less.

 

[Jstpssng]

Haha...my kids (18-24) X 4 can all drive a stick...we specifically bought a manual to avoid having friends 'borrow' the car.

Based on an informal poll of my HS students, it is probably 5% or less.

I haven't driven one since 2001, when the engine went in my Toyota. . For years I was keeping my eyes open for a heavy 3/4 ton or light ton truck with a manual transmission, but it's hard to buy something which isn't made. When I bought my Colorado 2 years ago I was also considering a Tacoma, but nobody had what I wanted with the 6 speed, and I couldn't afford the gas for a V-6 auto.

 

[Dftodd]

I honestly think the suit against the owner will be tossed out. Owner wasn't on site and the worker was a flat out idiot. Dealership should have policies in place curb darwinism.

Worker should have been sitting in the seat and not trying to do it from outside the vehicle.

Guy I knew years ago did something similar while working quick lube for a Ford dealership. Guy used his hands to work the clutch from outside the vehicle.

Launched the car off the ramp he had it on. Person worked off the damages to the vehicle that the dealer had to fix. Then got canned once the damages were worked off.