Tennessee man sues Kia over alleged defect that left him paralyzed

This photo from a lawsuit against Kia Motors shows the driver's seat of Rickey Rye's 2022 Kia Sorrento after an accident.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Tennessee resident is suing Kia Motors after an alleged driver's seat defect caused the seat to collapse in a crash and left him paralyzed.

According to the lawsuit filed Friday, June 7, Rickey and Dorathea Rye purchased the 2022 Kia Sorrento about a month before the accident. The couple said they purchased the car from an authorized Kia dealership in Tennessee.

On July 16, 2023, Rickey was driving the vehicle and Dorathea was sitting in the front passenger seat. They were completely stopped at a red light at the intersection of North Riverside Drive and College Street in Clarksville when another car hit them from behind.

Their lawyers said Rickey and Dorathea were wearing their seat belts properly at the time. However, upon impact, the driver's seat malfunctioned and collapsed, leaving Rickey with a “catastrophic spinal cord injury,” according to the lawsuit.

Rickey remains permanently paralyzed to this day, his lawyers said. The suit claims the “unreasonably dangerous condition” of the vehicle and driver's seat was present at the time the car was designed, manufactured and sold to Rickey and his wife.

As a result, Rickey is seeking $100 million for all injuries and damages he suffered. His grounds for suing include strict liability, negligence and loss of consortium, with the lawsuit claiming Rickey's injuries negatively impacted his marriage.

The lawsuit also alleges that the company violated the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act by representing that the Kia Sorrento complied with all federal motor vehicle safety standards when it did not.

The couple requested a jury trial. News 2 contacted Kia about the allegations in the lawsuit. However, the company declined to comment, stating that “Kia America's policy is to offer 'no comment' on pending or pending litigation.” »

The company has been at the center of several lawsuits recently. A Nashville man also recently filed a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai after his car was stolen in Memphis last June. The suit claims that Hyundai and Kia “failed to equip their vehicles with appropriate anti-theft protection.”