Hyundai Tucson Lawsuit Claims Defective Front Seats Led to Driver Death, Passenger Paralysis

Lawsuit follows a complaint filed earlier this year over similar seat defects in a Kia vehicle, a subsidiary of Hyundai, where the front seat also collapsed during a rear end crash.

A Pennsylvania man has filed a lawsuit claiming that defects in a Hyundai Tucson SUV caused the front seat to collapse during a rear end collision, resulting in his wife’s death and his own paraplegia.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by John A. Ady, both individually and as administrator of the estate of his late wife, Kristen A. Ady, in the Court of Common Pleas for Alleghany County, Pennsylvania on September 25. The lawsuit names Hyundai Motor Company, Mike Kelly Automotive, Zachariah D. Kyle, his employer Jet Jack, and at least six related Hyundai and Kia entities as defendants.

According to the lawsuit, Kristen Ady purchased a Hyundai Tucson SUV from Mike Kelly Hyundai in Pennsylvania in March 2021. Four years later, on April 11, 2025, she was driving the vehicle in Slippery Rock Township, Pennsylvania, with her husband, John Ady, riding as a passenger. 

While stopped at a traffic light, their vehicle was rear-ended by a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Zachariah Kyle, who was allegedly texting at the time while working for his employer, Jet Jack.

The complaint alleges that the impact caused both the driver and passenger seats in the Tucson to fail and collapse. As a result, Kristen Ady was killed in the crash, while John Ady suffered partial paralysis.

Ady alleges that a defect in the manufacture and design of the Hyundai Tucson’s front seats caused them to collapse backward when the vehicle was rear-ended, despite assurances from Mike Kelly Hyundai at the time of sale that the SUV was safe. The complaint states that Hyundai Motor Company and Mike Kelly Automotive knew, or should have known through inspections and testing, that the seats posed a serious danger to occupants and were not fit for their intended purpose.

“The defective and unreasonably dangerous condition of the Tucson, including its occupant restraint system, was a direct, proximate, and producing cause of Kristen Ady’s death and John Ady’s catastrophic injuries.”

— John Ady v. Hyundai Motor Company et al

As a result of the collapse, both Kristen and John suffered devastating spinal cord injuries. Kristen did not survive the crash, while John was left permanently disabled. 

His injuries include paraplegia, a traumatic spinal cord injury between the T7 and T12 vertebrae, a fractured thoracic vertebral body, internal organ damage and hemothorax, as well as chronic back injuries and pressure wounds from prolonged immobility.

The complaint also describes lasting complications such as urinary and bowel incontinence, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and chronic pain. Beyond his physical injuries, Ady now suffers from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, insomnia and recurrent headaches, which have left him unable to work, stripped him of his independence, and diminished his quality of life.

Ady raises allegations of strict product liability against Hyundai and Mike Kelly, vicarious liability / agency against Jet Jack, and negligence against all defendants. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for his own injuries, as well as Kristen Ady’s wrongful death.

A similar lawsuit was brought against Kia Corporation and related defendants earlier this year, alleging that Donna Schmoyer was paralyzed by the collapse of the front seat of her Kia Sorento when it was rear ended by a truck in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Hyundai Motor Group holds a controlling stake in Kia Motors.

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