Illinois wrongful death lawsuit raises concerns over car exhaust safety
Grayslake auto repair shop sued after 2 die from carbon monoxide poisoning
A Grayslake auto repair shop faces a wrongful death lawsuit alleging it failed to warn a customer about a defective exhaust system before two people died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. - A routine trip to an auto repair shop is at the center of a wrongful death lawsuit after two people died from carbon monoxide poisoning inside a vehicle in Crystal Lake.
The lawsuit alleges a Grayslake repair shop failed to properly address a defective exhaust system or warn the vehicle's owner about the potential danger before allowing him to drive away.
Now, the attorney representing one of the victims' estates says similar incidents are raising concerns about vehicle safety and the responsibility of auto repair businesses nationwide.
What happened in Crystal Lake?
What we know:
According to an amended complaint filed Oct. 1 in McHenry County, Kirby Graham brought his vehicle to Amerimex Mufflers, Brakes & Auto Repair Inc. in Grayslake for an exhaust system inspection before the fatal incident.
The lawsuit alleges the business inspected the vehicle but allowed Graham to leave with a defective exhaust system that permitted excessive levels of carbon monoxide to enter the passenger compartment.
At approximately 12:56 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2025, Graham was sitting in the driver's seat of his parked vehicle along Coventry Lane in Crystal Lake. Yeisimar A. Morales Sanchez was sitting in the front passenger seat.
Both died from carbon monoxide toxicity, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint alleges the repair shop knew, or should have known, the exhaust system was defective and created an unreasonably dangerous condition. It also accuses the business of failing to warn Graham about the potential danger.
Attorney Guy D. Geleerd Jr., who represents Morales Sanchez's estate, told FOX Chicago that police investigators informed him the occupants were not warned about the defective exhaust system.
ILLUSTRATION - 28 April 2024, Baden-Württemberg, Villingen-Schwenningen: The exhaust system of a VW Golf GTI. Photo: Silas Stein/dpa (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
"If it is foreseeable that this unreasonably dangerous condition of a defective exhaust system could allow carbon monoxide in while operating, you cannot allow the car to be operated, period," Geleerd said.
The lawsuit includes allegations of negligence and violations of the Illinois Automotive Repair Act. The family is seeking more than $100,000 under each of two counts: a survival action and a wrongful death claim.
Attorney says similar incidents are happening nationwide
What they're saying:
Geleerd says this case is not an isolated concern.
He told FOX Chicago that his research identified at least six similar reported incidents across the United States in the past two years involving people who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after operating vehicles with faulty exhaust systems.
Other recent lawsuits have raised similar concerns.
In Florida, the family of 21-year-old Allwyn Thompson Jr. filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging an exhaust leak in a Kia Forte went undetected through multiple inspections before he died from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2024. The lawsuit later added several companies involved in the vehicle's sale and inspection.
In Texas, the family of 20-year-old Jesus Marines sued a San Antonio used car dealership after alleging a defective exhaust system in a recently purchased Ford Mustang allowed dangerous carbon monoxide levels into the vehicle. Marines died in January 2026.
While the circumstances and defendants differ, both cases raise questions about whether vehicle defects were properly identified and disclosed before people got behind the wheel.
Geleerd says he also wants this Illinois case to encourage stronger safety standards for auto repair shops.
He argues businesses should not release vehicles with potentially dangerous conditions, even if customers are willing to drive them away.
"If you know there's an unreasonably dangerous condition, you have to guard against it. You have to prevent injury from it," Geleerd said.
What's next for the wrongful death lawsuit?
What's next:
The lawsuit names Amerimex Mufflers, Brakes & Auto Repair Inc. as the defendant.
Geleerd told FOX Chicago he is waiting to learn the company's legal position, whether it has retained an attorney and how much insurance coverage may be available.
We contacted the shop for comment about the lawsuit and allegations but we haven't heard back.
Geleerd says he hopes the case ultimately leads to stronger safety practices among auto repair businesses throughout the Chicago area.
The case is scheduled to return to court Dec. 3, according to Geleerd.
The Source: The information in this report came from an amended complaint filed in McHenry County, FOX Chicago's interview with attorney Guy D. Geleerd Jr. and published reporting on similar wrongful death lawsuits in Florida and Texas.