Morgan & Morgan Files Lawsuit Over Alleged “Grenade-Like” Counterfeit Airbag That Killed Utah Teenager

This is the third wrongful death lawsuit filed by Morgan & Morgan alleging counterfeit airbags exploded and killed drivers

[Salt Lake City, UT] — Morgan & Morgan has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a minor who was killed by an airbag that detonated in a collision on July 30, 2025. According to the lawsuit, the teen’s driver-side airbag contained counterfeit and non-compliant components that exploded when the car was involved in a minor crash, causing a large, jagged chunk of metal shrapnel from the blast to strike her chest, killing her in minutes. 

The complaint alleges that the defendant, national used car dealership AutoSavvy, had the teen’s 2019 Hyundai Sonata repaired prior to selling it to her family. In doing so, AutoSavvy allegedly prioritized profit margins over human safety by installing cheaper, counterfeit airbag components into a vehicle they allegedly knew would be sold to an unsuspecting family.

“Our client’s family is devastated by this entirely preventable loss,” said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan. “We have received a disturbing number of reports about these incidents that suggest this is just the tip of the iceberg. No life should be cut short because a corporation puts profits above safety, and we will stop at nothing to deliver justice for our client’s family and demand accountability from those responsible.”

This is the third wrongful death lawsuit filed by Morgan & Morgan relating to counterfeit airbag parts that are allegedly manufactured in China and find their way into cars in the U.S. In all three cases, the plaintiffs were involved in survivable collisions, but were killed when the counterfeit airbag detonated and exploded shrapnel into their bodies. Since Morgan & Morgan’s initial filings in 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued consumer safety advisoriesto alert used vehicle owners and repair professionals to the dangers of counterfeit air bags.

“In each case we’ve reviewed, we believe the collision should have been survivable. Instead, the airbag allegedly acted like a grenade, turning what is supposed to be a safety feature into a death sentence,” said Morgan & Morgan attorney Andrew Parker Felix. “Morgan & Morgan is committed to uncovering how these illegal airbag inflators are entering the stream of commerce and being installed in vehicles across the country. We are pursuing justice for all those who have been impacted by these deadly airbags and will ensure that this dangerous and preventable practice is brought to an end.”

The firm is investigating at least three other death cases against other defendants related to counterfeit Chinese airbags.

Andrew Parker Felix, the lead attorney on this case, has extensive experience in issues involving product liability litigation and catastrophic personal injury, including motor vehicles and their component parts, like airbags. He has resolved more Takata airbag matters than any lawyer in the country and is one of three members of the Trust Advisory Committee working with the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund.

The lawsuit was filed in the Third Judicial District Court In and For Salt Lake County, State of Utah, Case No. 260901663. The defendants named in the lawsuit are AutoSavvy Holdings, Inc., AutoSavvy Dealerships LLC, AutoSavvy Management Company, LLC and AutoSavvy of Woods -Cross, LLC.