“Cars for Kids” Victims Cleared to Sue Flowmaster
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The victims and the families of the “Cars for Kids” tragedy have been given the go ahead to sue Flowmaster as one of the organizers of the 2007 fundraiser. Tuesday, the State Court of Appeals handed down a ruling saying an earlier court’s decision to grant a summary judgment to Flowmaster was not merited. In fact, the appeals court said the car parts manufacturer should face a jury trial. The families of those killed or injured during the “burn out” performed by driver Troy Critchley maintain Flowmaster had an active role in the “Cars for Kids” event and should be held accountable. However, Flowmaster said it had no control over the event. An attorney for one of the victims’ families said they are all looking forward to their day in court. “The segment against Flowmaster will be based on the decisions the company made, the consequences of those decisions,” said Attorney Lewis Cobb. “The good news is that we’ll have a jury in McNairy County to ask them was that a good idea, were you being careful, were you being thoughtful or were you putting people unnecessarily at risk. Cobb added, Flowmaster can appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court, which could lengthen the process. But if they choose not to appeal, the case could head to court in eight months to a year. This is the civil portion of the case. The criminal case ended against Critchley in 2008 when he pleaded guilty to 28 counts of simple aggravated assault and was sentenced to 18 months probation. six people died, 22 others were injured.
