Metallic AMG Badge Allegedly Burns Drivers

A 2026 federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California’s Western Division claims that the metallic AMG seat emblems in Mercedes-AMG performance models can heat up in the sun and burn bare skin, leaving marks shaped like the emblem itself. The lawsuit, which targets Mercedes-AMG models fitted with the metal seat badge, accuses the design of posing an undisclosed burn hazard to shoulders, necks, and upper backs. Two AMG drivers, Gabriel Lahijani and Karendeep Bath, are seeking money damages and removal or modification of the metal logos. Lahijani alleges he received second-degree burns on May 31 after getting into his 2026 Mercedes-AMG E-Class while wearing a tank top, with a dermatologist later documenting burns that matched the AMG logo outline. Bath reportedly experienced a similar pattern of injury when her bare shoulder touched the badge while she wore a sleeveless top. The plaintiffs are asking for compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and reimbursement for costs tied to dealing with the alleged defect. They also want Mercedes to cover the cost of removing or modifying the metallic AMG logo in other owners’ cars so the badge can’t heat up and make direct contact with skin in the same way again. The case raises a straightforward legal question: can a decorative metal emblem ever be a dangerous design under product-liability law, and will courts treat a styling choice as a safety risk that automakers must redesign or remove?