A young mother in Florida was killed last year when her car’s counterfeit airbag “exploded like a grenade,” according to the complaint.
Destiny Biersey’s used 2020 Chevrolet Malibu slipped through multiple imposters before a fake emergency airbag deployed in a head-on collision in June, causing an explosion and “shards of metal and plastic.” It splattered all over the car,” the family claims.
“Several fragments from the explosion hit Mr. Biersey in the face, head and neck, ultimately killing him,” the official said. Complaint obtained by Law & Crime.
The 22-year-old “was the mother of two young children and had her whole life ahead of her,” attorney John Morgan, who is also representing the family, said in a news release.
According to the complaint, Biersey bought the doomed sedan from Drivetime, a national used car company, without being provided with a detailed history of the car.
The former Enterprise Rent-A-Car was involved in a catastrophic crash in September 2022, and the damage was “so significant that the vehicle was classified as a total loss, a salvage title was issued, and it was removed from service. I should have done it.” the lawsuit alleges.
Rather than scrapping the vehicle, Enterprise allegedly sold it on Drivetime through Manheim Auctions, which bills itself as the world’s largest wholesale automobile auction company.
It was then repaired at Jumbo Automotive in Hollywood, Fla., the suit says, and the store’s owner, Haim Levy, “purchased counterfeit and non-compliant airbag parts” from a Chinese company to replace the factory airbags in his Chevrolets. He claims that he has started installing these parts on cars. The subject is Chevrolet Malibu. ”
Not only was a dangerous fake bag used, but Levy also used seatbelt pretensioners (part of the complete system that tightens belts in the event of a crash) that were deployed by mistake, but appeared to be functioning properly. It is said that he repaired it using a cunning method to make it look like it was.
Mr Biersey’s family said: “We had no knowledge that the car had been improperly and illegally repaired.”
The counterfeit airbags and defective seatbelt pretensioners were both “instructed to deploy” during the June 2023 crash, according to the complaint.
“However, the front driver-side seat belt pretensioner of the affected Chevrolet Malibu was inoperable, and the pretensioner did not deploy as originally designed,” the complaint states. “To make matters worse, the affected Chevrolet Malibu’s driver-side front airbag system contained counterfeit and non-conforming parts, causing the airbag to explode like a grenade, sending metal and plastic debris into the car. It splattered all over the room.”
The filing poignantly states that there are photos showing the “horrific event,” including one of the “driver’s side front airbag cut and blood soaked.”
Biersey’s grandmother, Kathy King, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the young woman’s children, ages 6 and 4, as well as her husband and mother.
“I believed I was buying a safe and reliable car, but our lawsuit alleges that some car companies repair cars that are supposed to be broken down just to make money,” Byashi said. In a statement, Mr. Morgan said:
“As a result, Ms. Biersey lost her life and her children will grow up without a mother.”
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial on 14 different counts against various defendants, including strict liability, negligence, and deceptive trade practices.
Enterprise, Manheim, DriveTime and Jumbo Automotive did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
