A young mother in Florida tragically lost her life after a counterfeit airbag in her used 2020 Chevy Malibu exploded in a collision, causing fatal injuries. The family of Destiny Byassee filed a lawsuit alleging that the fake airbags were purchased by a repair shop owner and installed incorrectly, leading to the fatal incident. Byassee, a 22-year-old mother of two, purchased the car from DriveTime without being informed of its complete history, leading to the fatal consequences.
The car in question was previously owned by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and had been involved in a severe accident that should have deemed it a total loss. However, instead of scrapping the vehicle, it was sold at an auction and subsequently repaired using counterfeit airbag components. The lawsuit alleges that the repair shop owner knowingly installed these non-compliant parts, as well as incorrectly repaired the seatbelt pretensioner, creating a false sense of security for the car’s owner.
The lawsuit also highlights the fact that the counterfeit airbag and faulty seatbelt pretensioner failed to deploy correctly during the collision, with the airbag detonating like a grenade and sending shrapnel throughout the vehicle. The family of Byassee asserts that she was unaware of the improper repairs done to the vehicle and believed that she was driving a safe and reliable car. The lawsuit, filed by Byassee’s grandmother on behalf of her children and family, seeks justice for the young mother’s untimely death.
Attorney John Morgan, representing the family, stated that multiple automotive companies worked together to bypass safety standards and repair a vehicle that should have been deemed unusable, all for the sake of profit. The lawsuit alleges various counts against the defendants, including strict liability, negligence, and deceptive trade practices. The family hopes to bring to light the negligence and greed that contributed to Byassee’s tragic death and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The defendants named in the lawsuit, including Enterprise, Manheim, DriveTime, and Jumbo Automotive, have not provided immediate comments on the matter. The family of Byassee hopes that through their legal action, they can obtain justice for Destiny and ensure that similar incidents involving counterfeit automotive parts are prevented from causing harm to others. The lawsuit seeks to hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions and bring awareness to the dangers of using non-compliant and counterfeit automotive components.
