SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The estate of a woman, one of 20 people killed in 2018 during a limousine accident in New York state, is suing Mavis Discount Tire Inc.
The company's Saratoga Springs, N.Y., location is the target of a civil suit brought by the family of Amanda Rivenburg, who died Oct. 6, 2018, along with 16 other passengers, the driver and two pedestrians.
Mavis allegedly performed "repairs and work on the braking system, which it knew were improper, temporary, insufficient and incomplete," the lawsuit alleges about the limousine operated by Prestige Limousine & Chauffeur Service.
Mavis, the suit also alleges, "did not observe, identify, fix, correct or remedy the defects existing in the vehicle, resulting in the vehicle being unsafe for operation on the roadways."
The lawsuit alleges the vehicles braking system was unsafe and needed replaced. Problems included contaminated brake fluid, a collapsed and corroded rear brake line, seizure of caliper pistons, and worn pads and rotors. The lawsuit further claims Mavis should have caught the alleged problems during earlier work on the vehicle.
The lawsuit alleges that the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limousine was brought to the Mavis location on or about May 11, 2018, for a New York Department of Motor Vehicles inspection. But because of the excess capacity of the vehicle, Mavis should have known it was "not authorized" to perform the inspection. The inspection, instead, should have been conducted by the New York State Department of Transportation, according to the lawsuit.
The accident made national news last year because of the large number of deaths involved.
A total of 18 people in the vehicle and two pedestrians were killed when the limousine did not stop at a stop sign, traveled through an intersection and into a nearby parking lot striking another vehicle. It was that vehicle that then struck and killed the pedestrians. The limousine continued into a ravine and struck trees before coming to a stop, according to the lawsuit.
Mavis, on July 20, confirmed the company did issue a statement to local press after the lawsuit recently was filed.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with the victims of this tragic accident," the company said in a statement to Tire Business. "However, Mavis bears no legal responsibility for this tragedy and the events that led up to it, and we will defend ourselves vigorously against all claims."
Mavis in the fifth largest retail tire dealer in the U.S by number of outlets, according to Tire Business rankings. The company has about 830 service centers in 24 states.
The company is owned by Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm based in San Francisco.
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