A lawsuit against General Motors and King Auto Sales alleges a mother and her three children were found unresponsive in a 2003 Saturn Ion after carbon monoxide was able to leak into the vehicle through the exhaust system.
Toneisha Brumfield filed the complaint on June 6 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against General Motors LLC and King Auto Sales Inc.
According to the complaint, Brumfield purchased a 2003 Saturn Ion on Feb. 28 from King Auto Sales in Cahokia. A few weeks later at 8:30 a.m. on March 11, Brumfield alleges police officers responded to a wellness check when the Ion was parked on Lincoln Ave. in St. Louis. First responders allegedly arrived on scene to find the Ion running idle with Brumfield and her three minor children unresponsive in the vehicle.
When the first responders opened the vehicle door, they allegedly identified a strong exhaust smell inside the vehicle. They allegedly tested the vehicle and discovered the presence of carbon monoxide.
Brumfield and her three children were taken to the hospital, “all suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning,” the suit states.
Brumfield claims she sustained injuries including disability, disfigurement, loss of a normal life, pain, suffering, interference with her employment, loss of financial gains, diminishment of her earning capacity, medical expenses and mental anguish.
The plaintiff alleges that prior to selling her the vehicle, King Auto Sales allegedly conducted inspections and performed maintenance on the Ion. The defendant allegedly represented that the vehicle was in good working condition and had previously undergone the necessary inspections and tests.
However, Brumfield claims King Auto was aware that the Ion’s exhaust system was in a defective and dangerous condition, which allowed exhaust to leak into the occupant compartment during foreseeable operation.
Brumfield also alleges General Motors breached its duty to exercise reasonable care by failing to sufficiently research, test, develop, design, license, manufacture, package, label, distribute, sell and market the Saturn Ion for sale, which allegedly subjected consumers to an unreasonable risk of harm.
Brumfield seeks unspecified compensatory damages against the defendants, plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest and court costs. She is represented by attorney Mark Emison of Langdon & Emison LLC in Lexington, Mo.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 22-LA-479