Harvey Weinstein Sues Chrysler For $20M Over 'Paralyzing' Crash: Suit

New York City NY

07 June, 2022

2:47 PM

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NEW YORK CITY — Harvey Weinstein could be heading back to a New York City courtroom, but this time it's not to face accusations from dozens of women accusing him of sexual misconduct. The disgraced Hollywood mega-producer Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Chrysler in which he demands $20 million and claims an upstate crash left him "paralyzed." "Weinstein suffered catastrophic, permanent paralyzing injuries," the complaint states. "As well as significant and continuing conscious pain and suffering." Chrysler representatives declined comment on pending litigation, but a company statement reads, "We intend to vigorously defend our product against these claims." The lawsuit stems from a 2019 crash in Bedford that involved alleged faulty brakes, a 2017 Jeep Weinstein says he received as a gift from Chrysler, and a deer. "The Vehicle failed to decelerate despite Weinstein's application of the Vehicle's braking system," the lawsuit states. "[This] resulted in a loss of vehicle control and subsequent rollover of the vehicle." Weinstein's claimed "pain and suffering" was apparently on display as he used a walker to travel in and out of a Manhattan courtroom in December 2019 for his trial on sex crime charges. Photos of Weinstein with the walker drew skepticism and speculation that he faked injuries for some sort of advantage in the trial, Variety reported. But any sympathy Weinstein's injuries — which his lawyers at the time pinned on an August 2019 crash — could have conjured were washed away by testimony by women who said he sexually abused them. Jurors found Weinstein guilty of rape and a judge sentenced him to a 23-year sentence. Weinstein's trial, conviction and sentence were the culmination of a precipitous fall from grace after the New York Times and New Yorker released groundbreaking reports detailing years of sexual misconduct accusations made by some of Hollywood's biggest stars. And Weinstein faces continuing legal troubles. Last week, an appeals court upheld Weinstein's prison sentence, the Associated Press reported. He's currently jailed in California, where he was extradited last year to await trial on charges he assaulted five women in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2013. Weinstein's lawsuit against Chrysler could land him $5 million — and $20 million in aggregate — if successful. The suit seeks at least $5 million each from four causes of action, including manufacturer's negligence and breach of warranty. Read the full complaint here.