Reality TV star Bruce Jenner battling wrongful death lawsuit in fatal car crash

Bruce Jenner has come out swinging against a wrongful death lawsuit against him by the stepchildren of a woman killed in a multi-car crash involving Jenner.

Jenner was driving his Cadillac Escalade when he rear-ended a car driven by wealthy philanthropist Kim Howe, 69, on the twisty Pacific Coast Highway in February. The impact pushed Howe's car into oncoming traffic, where it was hit head-on by a Hummer.

Howe's stepchildren are claiming Jenner, 65, was "negligent, careless and reckless." He hasn't been charged with a crime in the accident though the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is still investigating.

Jenner's lawyer argues that the reality star owes nothing to Howe's stepchildren, who say they have suffered "enormous damages and losses", because they're financially independent, reports the Los Angeles Times.

"These two plaintiffs are financially independent, successful, adult stepchildren, ages 57 and 60, who have lived out-of-state in Maine and New York for decades -- who were not financially dependent upon the decedent for 'the necessities of life,' " the court document states.

The stepchildren's lawyer says that the court action is a way to determine the facts of the accident.

"So far, no one has accepted responsibility for the collision that resulted in Ms. Howe's death," said a lawyer for the stepchildren. "Her children feel an obligation to bring the truth to light and seek justice for Ms. Howe. This lawsuit is the only tool at their disposal that gives them the ability to do so."