Olympic gold medalist and reality star Bruce Jenner is now facing a lawsuit for wrongful death and negligence stemming from a February car crash that killed one woman and injured five others.
Reuters reported that the two stepchildren of Kimberly Howe, 69, who died in the Feb. 7 car crash on the Malibu stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, filed the lawsuit against Jenner.
The lawsuit claims that Jenner, 65, driving his Cadillac Escalade and towing an off-road vehicle, struck Howe’s car from behind, sending her vehicle into oncoming traffic, where she collided head-on with a Hummer.
Jenner had “violated the rules of the road” and was “negligent, careless and reckless” in causing the accident, states the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on May 1. The suit also claims that Howe had been “acting with due caution, attention and care” and didn’t contribute to the wreck in any way. The six-page claim does not, however, outline exactly how Jenner was at fault.
Since 2010, the rate of wrongful deaths in the U.S. has risen by more than 20%, and is only expected to continue rising in the future. Howe’s stepdaughter, Dana Redmond, and stepson, William Howe, seek unspecified damages for the personal loss of Howe and the financial support she had provided to them. Redmond and Howe say Jenner was responsible for her death and “damage to her effects,” causing “enormous damages and losses,” the LA Times reported.
News of the lawsuit came days after Jenner’s nationally televised interview with Diane Sawyer, during which he declared that he identifies as a woman. The interview itself was filmed days before the Malibu crash.
While Jenner’s publicist, Alan Nierob, declined to comment on the lawsuit, he said that Jenner still prefers to be referred to with male pronouns until his transition is complete.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the crash.