By admin 
Exploding car bling affixed to her steering wheel cost a Columbia, S.C., woman her eye.
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That’s a key allegation in a lawsuit against the internet giant Amazon brought by Shaneise Manaiza, who bought a car bling decal in 2023 and affixed it to the air bag cover on the steering wheel of her 2020 Honda.
In November 2024, when Manaiza was driving north on Langford Road near Columbia, a vehicle driven by Anguenetta Lee failed to yield the right of way and pulled out in front of her Honda, causing a crash that triggered Manaiza’s steering wheel’s airbag to pop out, the lawsuit says.
On deploying, the airbag broke apart the car bling, causing its shards to shoot into Manaiza’s face “like shrapnel from a grenade,” the lawsuit says.
Shards from the car bling flew into one of Manaiza’s eye, causing her to lose that eye, the lawsuit says.
Manaiza bought the car bling decal off Amazon, the lawsuit said.
Lawsuit alleges Amazon negligence
The lawsuit seeks to hold several defendants involved in the selling of the car bling liable for Manaiza’s injuries, as well as Lee, who allegedly violated traffic laws by her actions and caused the crash.
A major defendant is Amazon, which sold an allegedly dangerous product without any warnings on it about the hazards of putting a car bling decal over the surface of the steering wheel where the air bag was stored, the lawsuit says.
Although other entities were involved in the selling and distribution of the car bling, Amazon was “the strongest link in the chain” of distribution, the lawsuit says.
Amazon should have known of the dangers associated with car bling and placing it on a steering wheel, the lawsuit said.
Before the crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released two consumer alerts regarding the car bling and similar steering wheel decals, the lawsuit said. The alerts warned consumers that such steering wheel decals “could cause significant injury or death in a crash with airbag deployment,” the lawsuit said.
The alerts warned consumers to avoid buying the decals and to remove any decals already applied, the lawsuit said.
Manaiza didn’t see the warnings, but Amazon should have, the lawsuit said.
Car bling dangers are “not open, obvious, or readily apparent to the user or consumer. The average user or consumer would not be aware, or possess or knowledge, that (car bling) would send plastic shrapnel into their face when their airbag deployed a crash,” the lawsuit said.
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The lawsuit said the car bling was described as “Jaronx Crystal Bling Steering Wheel Emblem Compatible for Honda” that was covered with decorative rhinestones with an adhesive back that covers the vehicle’s logo in the middle of the steering wheel.”
Manaiza never would have bought the car bling if she had known its dangers, the lawsuit said.
Lee, the driver of the other car, was negligent and caused the crash, the lawsuit alleged.
What Amazon said
In a 33-page legal answer to Manaiza’s lawsuit, Amazon denied being responsible for her injury. It also denied selling her the car bling Manaiza alleged to have bought from the giant retailer.
Amazon did admit that its platform provides third-party sellers, such as the one alleged to have offered the car bling for sale to Manaiza, a place to offer their products for sale.
Amazon also acknowledged it offered “payment processing services wherein Amazon collects the purchase price and remits the purchase price to the third-party seller minus applicable fees that the third-party seller agrees to,” its answer said.
The other driver denies allegations
Lee, who drove the other car in the crash, admitted in an answer to Manaiza’s lawsuit that she was involved in the crash — but that’s about all she admitted to.
Lee also said in her answer that any injuries Manaiza suffered “may have been” due to her negligence and not Lee’s.
Mazaina is represented Ronnie Crosby of Parker Law Group in Hampton County and S.C. Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Richland, of Columbia.
Crosby said, “This bling applied to a steering wheel airbag cover is marketed as a way to personalize a consumer’s vehicle. What seems to be fun and harmless is instead a highly dangerous product that should never have been sold.”
Garvin said, “This is a tragic case that has forever changed Ms. Manaiza’s life. She purchased what she believed was a harmless decorative accessory for her vehicle, only for it to cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries…. This lawsuit seeks to hold Amazon accountable and protect our community from these dangerous products.”
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Amazon is represented by Rita Bolt Barker of the Wyche Law Firm in Greenville.
Lee is represented by Peter Farr of the Murphy & Grantland law firm in Columbia.
The State reached out to Barker and Farr, but they have not yet replied.