Morgan & Morgan files lawsuit over fatal airbag incident

OKLAHOMA CITY – Morgan & Morgan, in conjunction with the Oklahoma City law firm Van Meter, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of Patricia Riggle, who died on March 1, 2024, at age 48, in a head-on collision caused by the explosion of a counterfeit airbag.

The lawsuit alleges that the airbag installed in Riggle's 2022 Chevy Malibu contained counterfeit components and was improperly installed. The named defendants include The Hertz Corporation, Chinese auto giant Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology Co., Manheim Remarketing Inc., Traum Auto Group and individuals Garrett Nettles and Tramale Kemp.

The lawsuit alleges that the car originally belonged to Avis and was later purchased by Hertz after the driver's airbag deployed in a previous accident. It alleges that Jilin replaced the car's airbag with a counterfeit version, which Ms. Riggle was unaware of, leading to her fatal injury when the airbag exploded like a grenade in an accident.

This is the second case Morgan & Morgan has filed in connection with Jilin and fake airbags. In May 2024, the firm filed a similar lawsuit in Florida in connection with the death of young mother Destiny Byassee. This also involved a Chevy Malibu that was equipped with a fake airbag.

“This is now the second death resulting from the alleged negligence of multiple automakers,” said attorneys John Morgan and Andrew Parker Felix of Morgan & Morgan. “These incidents, which occurred in different states under nearly identical circumstances, reveal a potentially widespread problem. Our goal is to hold all those responsible accountable and prevent such reckless practices in the future.”

Felix, who is leading the case, has extensive experience in product liability litigation, particularly involving defective airbags. He has resolved more Takata airbag cases than any other attorney in the country and is a member of the Trust Advisory Committee for the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund.