$500M Claim Filed In Hinsdale Car Wash Bankruptcy: Lawyers

HINSDALE, IL – The parents of a boy who was killed at Hinsdale's Fuller's Car Wash two years ago filed a $500 million claim in the company's bankruptcy, their attorneys announced Friday.

In January, Fuller's filed for bankruptcy, immediately halting Brian and Kristine Richards' lawsuit against the business. The couple's claim is for compensatory and punitive damages.

The family asserted the bankruptcy filing was nothing more than another step in Fuller's efforts to avoid accountability and discovery of the truth. Depositions of Fuller's executives were just about to happen when the filing occurred, the family said.

On July 17, 2023, 14-year-old Sean Richards was walking on a public sidewalk from his orthodontist to the local library when a Fuller's employee struck him with a car.

The worker ended up crashing into Fontano's restaurant, injuring customers.

In a news release, Chicago-based Clifford Law Offices noted similar incidents that occurred at Fuller's in 2007, 2009 and 2022. The previous crashes involved major property damage, but did not harm anyone, the lawyers said.

"Fuller's, being completely aware of the risk of its operations to the public after these three (and possibly more) events, took no precautions to protect pedestrians on the sidewalk or the street," the firm said. "Unfortunately, the bankruptcy process requires the Richards to reduce their claim to a dollar amount, but they intend to continue pursuing the truth, accountability and public safety."

Fuller's Car Wash could not be reached for immediate comment Friday.

In the 13 months before January's bankruptcy filing, the five co-owners received nearly $1.2 million in compensation and dividends from the Hinsdale business. The co-owners are Doug Fuller, Susan Groenwold, Ethan Fuller, Colin Fuller and Paula Fuller.

Besides Hinsdale, the car wash chain owns 17 other washes, according to its website.

Previous bankruptcy documents show the business owns 18 cars, many of them luxury models, including a Mercedes and a Cadillac Escalade.

The information showed that Fuller's owes a total of $452,000 for 14 of the cars.

For tax and bankruptcy purposes, those cars must be for business, not personal use.

Records also show the owners made more than $11 million from the sale of four car washes last year.