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Woman sues Lithia over airbag injury A Medford woman is suing Lithia Motors and the Chrysler Corp. for $167,000 because of injuries suffered nearly two years ago when an airbag in a '97 Plymouth Neon spontaneously deployed. By legal custom, the suit names both Lithia and Chrysler because both retailer and manufacturer share responsibility that their products be in good condition and safe, but the liability usually falls on manufacturers, in this case Chrysler, Richardson said. "They've just refused to make it right," attorney Dennis Richardson said Friday. "It's such a shame because it's taken so long, and we've had to file a lawsuit." Richardson said two eyewitnesses have signed affidavits stating that Rebecca Kurth was parked in her father's car when the airbag suddenly deployed. The accident occurred on Feb. 3, 1997 and left Kurth with severe whiplash injuries, he said. The car had been purchased by her father just three months earlier. Richardson said problems with the car's airbags have prompted a recall since the accident. Scores of Dodge and Plymouth Neon owners have lodged complaints about the bags inflating when they hit a pothole, struck a curb or were just sitting parked as Kurth's Neon was. At least 13 crashes and 28 injuries have been reported because of such inadvertent inflations. "It's not like you're driving and leaning back," Richardson said of the bag's explosive punch. "If you're sitting, leaning forward, it's a scary thing. It's coming out at 200 mph." The suit claims damages of $160,000 for pain and suffering, $5,860 for medical costs to date (not to exceed $15,000), and $750 in lost wages (not to exceed $10,000). The suit says Kurth's injuries included not only spine and neck problems, but tinnitus, a persistent ringing of the ears. Lithia Dodge service manager Mark Conner said Neons indeed are the subject of a recall including some but not all 1997 Neons and Jeep Wranglers. A defective controller can cause the bag to deploy within 3 seconds after the key is turned off. The controller can be replaced free at the dealership, and the work takes about 1 hours, Conner said. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � interRogue & The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA