Oklahoma – The steering column had fake parts, according to the family of an Oklahoma lady who died when an airbag “detonated like a grenade” and fired pieces of “shrapnel” into her neck.
The car in front of Patricia Riggle “suddenly and unexpectedly stopped” on March 1 when she was operating a leased Chevrolet Malibu. An alteration to a civil lawsuit was submitted to Oklahoma County last week, stating that the Malibu’s airbag went out after the incident.
However, the case claims that although Riggle was wearing a seat belt, the airbag turned into a lethal weapon instead of protecting him.
“[B]ecause 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 complaint says. “Several fragments from the blast struck Mrs. Riggle in the face, head, and neck, ultimately killing her.”
Hertz, Manheim, and Traum are three companies in the auto industry that deal in wholesale auto resale and auction car buying and selling. Riggle has filed a lawsuit against Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology, a Chinese enterprise that, as stated in the complaint, produces and markets “counterfeit vehicle airbag components” and “derives substantial revenue” from them.
The deadly airbag in the Malibu was first activated in a collision, according to the updated complaint, which also describes how the airbag ended up in the vehicle. The vehicle was owned by Avis at the time, and it was purportedly offloaded to Manheim for sale. Traum bought the vehicle, which ultimately became a part of Hertz’s rental collection.
The lawsuit claims that at some time, a fake Jilin airbag was installed in place of the driver-side airbag.
“Upon information and belief, Manheim, Traum, and Hertz are responsible for this repair and for the installation of the counterfeit airbag into the subject Chevy Malibu,” the complaint says.
In addition, Garrett Nettles, the driver of another vehicle, and Tramale Kemp are named as defendants in the lawsuit. Tramale Kemp is accused of “renting and supplying” Patricia Riggle with the Malibu.
The accusations are remarkably similar to those made after an airbag detonated in 2022, killing a lady in Arizona. That lawsuit claims that an aftermarket airbag made by Jilin was found in a used Chevy Malibu that Manheim auctioned off.
The Riggle family is being represented by attorney Andrew Parker Felix, a partner at Morgan & Morgan, who told Oklahoma City NBC affiliate KFOR that the “illegal counterfeit Chinese airbag inflator” was hurling “scrap metal” in Riggle’s direction at speeds of several hundred miles per hour.
Felix informed the broadcaster, “This car shouldn’t have even been rented to a consumer.” “The old adage of corporate profits over consumer safety is what it comes down to.”
Felix said to Law&Crime that the complaint was filed so soon after the incident to preserve evidence. At first, Kemp was the sole defendant included in the lawsuit.
“All the defendants we feel are potentially responsible for this tragedy” was eventually added to the complaint.
