Pittsburgh settlement leaves Chrysler alone in lawsuit spawned by 2011 flash-flood deaths

The city of Pittsburgh's recent decision to pay $375,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by families of four people killed in flash flooding leaves Chrysler as the remaining defendant.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority have previously settled their claims by paying a total of $1.5 million — the maximum allowed under state law.

The lawsuit was filed after 72-year-old Mary Saflin, of Oakmont, was swept from outside her vehicle by a 9-foot wall of water on the city's oft-flooded Washington Boulevard in August 2011.

The remaining claim against Chrysler is pending in the deaths of 45-year-old Kimberly Griffith and two daughters trapped in their Chrysler minivan.

Their attorney claims the van's electronic windows failed, among other things. Chrysler says the van meets all federal safety standards.