Lawsuit Filed 10 Years after Limousine Crash

Detroit, MITen years after a limousine accident left a former Detroit Red Wings player and a team masseuse permanently injured, a lawsuit has been filed against an Ohio auto dealership. The crash ended the careers of both Vladimir Konstantinov, a defenseman for the Red Wings, and Sergei Mnatsakanov, the masseuse.

Konstantinov's wife along with Mnatsakanov and his wife sued the dealership in 2004, claiming that the dealership had knowledge of or should have had knowledge of seatbelts that were defective or inaccessible. The suit says that the men were not wearing their seatbelts because the belts were tucked under the seats. They claim that they were not able to access them.

However, Findlay Ford Lincoln Mercury out of Findlay, Ohio denies the charges against them. They state that they did not design the limousine. They simply sent it to a Ford-approved company in Michigan that is now no longer in business. The Michigan company was instructed to use Ford standards to stretch the Lincoln Town Car into a limousine.

It is possible that two dozen witnesses could testify in the trial that will last three weeks and will be tried in front of U.S. District Judge George Steeh. Mike Ilitch, the owner of the Red Wings, limo driver Richard Gnida, and executive Steve Yzerman are expected to testify.

As for the details of the accident, the limo hit a tree on June 13, 1997 when Gnida fell asleep behind the wheel. He was driving Konstantinov, Mnastsakanov, and fellow player Slava Fetisov back from a golf outing. Gnida walked away from the crash and Fetisov was not severely injured. Konstantinov suffered head injuries that were so severe that he needed continuous 24-hour care. Mnatsakanov suffered paralysis from the waist down, but the Findlay dealership has disputed that he had severe brain injuries.

This suit is just one of many that have resulted from the crash and it will be heard before a jury of eight members. The jurors were selected on April 28, 2008. Opening statements began April 29, 2008. The attorneys who are trying the case are Richard Goodman for the plaintiffs and James Feeney for the dealership. Neither one of these attorneys have offered any comments on the case.

By: Ginger Gillenwater