Hyundai Seat Collapse Lawsuit Filed Over Severe Spinal Injury in Rear-End Accident

Lawsuit claims Hyundai was aware of risks that the seats and headrests of certain Kona vehicles could collapse during rear-end impacts, yet failed to correct these defects.

A New Jersey man has filed a lawsuit alleging that defects in the driver’s seat, headrest and seatbelt system of a 2023 Hyundai Kona caused catastrophic spinal injuries that left him paralyzed.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Matthew Vela and his wife, Kelly Vela, in New Jersey Superior Court on November 5, naming Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Motor Co., along with unnamed component manufacturers, as defendants. The complaint was removed to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on December 11.

This is not the first time Hyundai has faced a claim regarding front seat defects that have resulted in severe injuries. In October, a man filed a lawsuit stating that defects in a Hyundai Tucson SUV caused the vehicle’s front seat to collapse during a rear end collision, resulting in his wife’s death and his own paraplegia.

In addition, a Pennsylvania woman claimed earlier this year that she was paralyzed when the front passenger seat in her 2022 Kia Sorento vehicle suddenly collapsed after being rear ended by a pickup truck. Kia is a Hyundai subsidiary, which shares many vehicle components, including platforms, engines and transmissions, with its parent company.

According to his lawsuit, Vela was stopped in traffic on August 10, while signaling to make a left turn on State Highway 206 North in Sandyston, New Jersey, when his Kona was rear-ended by another vehicle. The impact allegedly caused the driver’s seat to collapse and the headrest to dislodge completely, propelling Vela backward and resulting in severe spinal cord injuries.

The complaint indicates that the seatbelt system also failed to properly restrain Vela during the crash, compounding the forces exerted on his body. As a result, the filing states that Vela suffered severe spinal injuries that left him paralyzed, as well as experiencing partial vision loss caused by traumatic optic neuropathy.

The lawsuit claims the driver’s seat assembly, headrest and occupant restraint system in the 2023 Hyundai Kona were defectively designed and manufactured, making them unreasonably dangerous in foreseeable rear-end collisions. According to the filing, the components failed to maintain structural integrity under crash forces that the vehicle should have been able to withstand.

Vela alleges that Hyundai knew or should have known prior to selling the vehicle that the seat and headrest were prone to collapse or dislodge during rear-end impacts, citing internal testing, prior complaints and industry knowledge referenced in the complaint. Despite that awareness, the lawsuit claims Hyundai failed to correct the defects, warn consumers or recall affected vehicles.

The complaint also indicates that Hyundai continued to market and sell the Kona without disclosing the alleged safety risks, placing drivers at risk of severe injury. Vela argues that safer alternative designs were available and feasible, yet were not implemented.

“As a direct and proximate result of the defective seat and/or the headrest being manufactured, inspected, tested, formulated, sold, maintained, and/or distributed by defendants Hyundai and/or ABC Corps. 1-10, Matthew Vela suffered severe and permanent injuries and has and will continue to suffer great pain and mental anguish, and will be prevented from engaging in his normal activities.”

— Matthew Vela et al v. Hyundai Motor America et al

In addition to Vela’s injury claims, the lawsuit includes loss-of-consortium claims brought by his wife, Kelly Vela, who alleges that she has suffered severe emotional distress and the loss of companionship and marital support as a result of her husband’s injuries.

The lawsuit brings multiple claims under New Jersey product liability law, including strict liability for design and manufacturing defects, failure to warn and negligence. Vela and his wife are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys’ fees, costs and other relief.

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