A younger Florida mom was killed final yr when her automobile’s counterfeit airbag “detonated like a grenade,” in line with a lawsuit.
Future Byassee’s used 2020 Chevy Malibu handed by means of a number of conmen earlier than its pretend emergency airbags deployed in a June frontal collision, inflicting a blast that “shot metal and plastic shrapnel throughout” the automobile, her household alleges.
“Several fragments from the blast struck Ms. Byassee in the face, head, and neck, ultimately killing her,” acknowledged the grievance, obtained by Legislation & Crime.
The 22-year-old “was a mother of two young children and had her entire life ahead of her,” lawyer John Morgan, who can be representing the household, mentioned in a information launch.
In accordance with the lawsuit, Byassee purchased the doomed sedan from DriveTime, a nationwide used automobile firm, with out being given a full historical past of the automobile.
The previous Enterprise Lease-A-Automobile automobile was concerned in a devastating September 2022 crash that triggered harm that “was so significant that the vehicle should have been classified as a total loss, issued a salvage title, and removed from service,” the lawsuit alleges.
Somewhat than scrap the car, Enterprise allegedly offered the automobile to DriveTime by means of Manheim Auctions, Inc., which payments itself as the most important wholesale vehicle public sale firm on the planet.
It was then repaired at Jumbo Automotive in Hollywood, Florida, the grievance continues, claiming that store proprietor Haim Levy “purchased counterfeit and non-compliant airbag components” by a Chinese language firm to interchange the Chevrolet manufacturing facility airbag “and proceeded to install these components into the subject Chevy Malibu.”
Not solely have been the damaging pretend baggage used, however Levy allegedly repaired the deployed seatbelt pretensioner — the a part of a whole system that tightens the belt throughout a crash — incorrectly, however in a crafty method that made it seem to work correctly.
Byassee “had no idea that the vehicle had been improperly and illegally repaired,” her household mentioned.
Each the counterfeit airbag and defective seatbelt pretensioner “were signaled to deploy” throughout the June 2023 collision, in line with the lawsuit.
“However, because the subject Chevy Malibu’s front driver-side seatbelt pretensioner was inoperable, the pretensioner did not deploy as originally designed,” the lawsuit states. “Worse, because the subject Chevy Malibu’s front driver-side airbag system included counterfeit and non-compliant components, the airbag detonated like a grenade and shot metal and plastic shrapnel throughout the vehicle cabin.”
The submitting pointedly mentioned that pictures depicted the “horrifying event,” together with one of many “shredded and blood-soaked front driver-side airbag.”
Cathy King, Byassee’s grandmother, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the 6- and 4-year-old youngsters the younger lady left behind, in addition to her husband and mom.
Byassee “believed she was buying a safe and reliable vehicle, but our lawsuit alleges that several automotive companies worked to skirt the system by repairing what should’ve been a totaled vehicle, all just to make money,” Morgan mentioned within the launch.
“Because of that, Ms. Byassee lost her life, and her children will grow up without their mother.”
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial on 14 numerous counts towards the assorted defendants – together with strict legal responsibility, negligence and misleading commerce practices.
Neither Enterprise, Manheim, DriveTime nor Jumbo Automotive instantly answered The Put up’s request for remark.
