Gabriel Lahijani and Karendeep "Karina" Bath filed a lawsuit earlier this week in U.S. Federal Court for the Western District of California. They claim a design flaw exists in the front seats of some Mercedes-AMG models, where the raised metal AMG logo can press against an occupant's upper back, neck, or shoulder.
The two plaintiffs are seeking medical expenses and compensation for physical and emotional damages if proven in court. They also want Mercedes to cover the cost of removing the logo from other owners' vehicles. Mercedes has not commented on the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Lahijani, a Los Angeles resident, rented a new 2026 Mercedes-AMG E-Class from an authorized Mercedes dealer in the city. On 31/5, after wearing a tank top and entering the vehicle, he suffered a second-degree burn on his back.
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AMG logo-shaped burn on shoulder. *Photo: Karina Bath*
A board-certified dermatologist later confirmed first and second-degree burns, describing the injury as "AMG" shaped.
Approximately six weeks later, Bath, a Chatsworth, California resident, experienced similar burns from the seat logo while wearing a short-sleeved shirt. According to the lawsuit, after parking her Mercedes-AMG in Los Angeles, Bath returned to the vehicle and sat in the driver's seat. Her shoulder immediately touched the logo, causing a burning sensation. In the following days, the AMG logo-shaped mark on her skin darkened and became more prominent, consistent with a heat-contact burn.
This incident follows a separate legal matter last December when Mercedes USA and its parent company, Daimler AG, agreed to pay 149,6 million USD to settle allegations of secretly installing devices on hundreds of thousands of vehicles to pass emissions tests. A coalition of US state attorneys general announced the settlement. The coalition stated that between 2008 and 2016, the German automaker equipped over 211,000 diesel cars and vans with software. This software optimized the emissions control system during testing but reduced control during normal operation.
Ho Tan (according to AP)
