Kia and sister brand Hyundai have faced numerous legal troubles lately. A few years ago they battled a pervasive spontaneous combustion problem that keeps resurfacing in various models. Now the automakers face a lawsuit from a family over the death of their patriarch.
Product liability cases like this carry significant weight for automakers. The lawsuit adds to the brands’ mounting legal challenges, reflecting the serious consequences when safety issues are alleged to have contributed to a death.