Race tracks are some of the few places in the country where you can enjoy your car to the fullest without fear of consequences. But they’re also dangerous places. With no speed limits, no road markings, and no traffic lines, it’s up to drivers to know how to navigate a race track safely. All it takes is a quick YouTube search to see that not everyone can handle the privilege without causing a huge accident.
By all accounts, Artin Nazaryan and Akihiro Fuchigami, the owners of a pair of imported Nissan Skyline GT-Rs, were following the rules of the track when they were stopped on the front straight of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California. Flaggers had deployed a track-wide red flag, signaling a dangerous condition on the track, which required all cars in the session to come to a complete stop.
That’s when disaster struck. Videos published to social media show a telehandler (a big type of forklift vehicle) striking the rear of both cars while transporting a bundle of tires, causing serious damage. Now, the two owners are suing the track, the organization that runs the track, and the telehandler operator for negligence.
What Happened, Exactly?
According to the lawsuit, filed on December 16 in the Monterey County Superior Court, the telehandler “proceeded at an unsafe speed for the conditions and the environment,” and did so “without maintaining a safe and clear line of sight ahead and without taking adequate measures to ensure the path of travel was clear,” leading to the collision. From the lawsuit:
The telehandler operator failed to perceive both of Plaintiffs’ stopped vehicles in front of him in sufficient time to avoid a collision.
The telehandler violently collided into the rear of Plaintiff Nazaryan and Fuchigami’s vehicles (“Subject Incident”).
The impact from the telehandler caused substantial force to be transmitted through both Plaintiffs’ vehicles, pushing them forward along the racing surface.
Video published to Instagram earlier this month (above) shows footage of the collision taken from a camera mounted in the rear windscreen of a car parked in the pit lane. It shows the telehandler barrelling into the rear of the red R34 GT-R, which was operated by Nazaryan at the time.
Another angle, taken from the perspective of Fuchigami’s car and published by Nazaryan to Instagram, shows the moments after the initial impact, where the telehandler seems to then strike Fuchigami’s R32 GT-R:
A photo of the R34 published alongside the lawsuit shows the car’s rear end smashed in, its bumper hanging partially, its wing missing, and its rear glass shattered. A photo of the R32 post-incident shows a crunched right rear corner panel, a damaged taillight, and a broken bumper, among other things.
Here’s Exactly What They’re Suing For
Josh Kohanim, a lawyer representing both Nazaryan and Fuchigami, told me over email that the claims against Laguna Seca Raceway, Friends of Laguna Seca (the non-profit that manages the track), and the unnamed telehandler driver include negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring/supervision/retention, vicarious liability, negligence per se, negligent entrustment, and gross negligence. From the lawsuit:
Defendants had the ability to prevent this type of incident by ensuring that heavy equipment was not operated on the racing surface until it could be done safely; by ensuring appropriate communications and confirmations that the track ahead was clear; by using appropriate spotters and/or guidance when operating large equipment with limited forward visibility; and by requiring speed and other operational restrictions.
As a result of the impacts, the lawsuit claims the plaintiffs “sustained life-altering personal injuries,” the full extent of which, according to the filing, is “not yet fully known.”
Plaintiffs suffered and continue to suffer damages, including, but not limited to, physical injuries, pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, inconvenience, and such other non-economic losses as will be proven at trial.
In addition to covering past and future medical expenses, the lawsuit is asking the defendants to cover past and future loss of earnings and earnings capacity, the cost to repair the cars, and “[f]or general damages according to proof, including but not limited to pain, suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment of life.”
Where’s Laguna Seca In All Of This?
When asked for comment, a Laguna Seca spokesperson sent over the following statement:
An incident involving a track support vehicle and a racecar occurred at the facility during a privately operated on-track event earlier this month. The track continues to work through the process with diligence and timeliness.
This doesn’t really say much, which is not terribly surprising considering there are lawyers involved. Anything Laguna says to me can be used against it in court, so the less it shares, the better.
While it’s up to a jury to determine what Nazaryan and Fuchigami are owed in this scenario, I’m nonetheless hoping their cars get fixed quickly. Seeing a couple of classic Skylines beat up like that makes me sad, and Nissan’s not making any more of them. So if there’s an opportunity to get them back on the road, I’m all for it.
Top graphic images: Wise Personal Injury & Accident Law
The post Nissan Skyline GT-R Owners Are Suing Laguna Seca After A Track Worker Crashed Into Their Cars appeared first on The Autopian.
