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Limo Litigation

How safe is your limo? Back 1997 Just six days after the Red Wings' Stanley Cup win, a celebration event turned into a tragedy. Konstantinov, Mnatsakanov and former player Viacheslav Fetisov were riding in a limousine that was involved in an accident that shocked metropolitan Detroit and turned their fans' elation into grief. More than a decade has passed since the limo crash in Birmingham ended the careers of Red Wings star Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov, but the complicated legal battles could just be nearing a conclusion.

The limo crossed over several lanes of traffic onto the median and crashed into a tree. The passengers were thrown from their seats in the rear of the vehicle into its partition. They weren't wearing seat belts, but their attorneys contend some of the safety restraints weren't available — they were wrapped in rubber bands and tucked under the seats — and some had faulty latches making them inoperable.

Konstatinov and Mnatsakanov had suffered devastating injuries. Both men still require round-the-clock care and expensive therapies and have no chance for physical or mental improvement. The limo driver, Richard Gnida, has said he blacked out. He had minor injuries. He later was found to have marijuana in his system and received a nine-month sentence for driving with a suspended license.

Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov initially sued Gnida and the limo company, whose insurance policy had a $2 million limit. That case, filed in 2008 in Oakland County Circuit Court, ended with a three-person mediation panel's unanimous award for the former Red Wings. But because the men's damages exceeded the insurance policy's limit, the limo company and Gnida sought coverage from the Red Wings' insurers, claiming the team had hired the limousine and its policies should cover the victims. For the injured players and masseur to collect, they had to pursue the insurance companies that wrote the policies for the team's hired cars.

The final lawsuit stemming from the crash goes to trial later this month in federal court in Detroit, with the victims seeking compensation from the Ohio auto dealership that sold the limousine to a Michigan livery. It's a product liability case: At issue is the dealer's liability - if any - for inaccessible and defective seat belts.

You don’t expect to be involved in a car accident, but you should be prepared. If you intend on hiring a limo, check to make sure it is fitted with seatbelts, and that they are accessible and functional. Remember, a seatbelt could save you from serious injury or even save your life.

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