MILWAUKEE — A preliminary settlement worth $200 million has been reached with auto manufacturers Kia and Hyundai in response to claims that a defect made their cars easy to steal.
The problem started in Milwaukee and grew in popularity when thieves, including a group of juveniles self-dubbed the "Kia Boyz," showed how to steal cars on the social media app TikTok.
A Milwaukee law firm, Barton Cerjak S.C., first filed the class action lawsuit against the car companies in 2021. The case was filed in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court and then moved to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
About a year later, 60 more lawsuits were filed against the car companies across the country. Now, court approval will need to be made for a nationwide settlement.
Those who have had their vehicles stolen within a certain time period will be able to file a claim to receive financial compensation for damages. Compensation will be based on different tiers. For example, someone who had their car stolen and totaled will receive more money than someone who had their vehicle damaged.
Kia America provided the following statement in regards to the lawsuit on Thursday:
Kia America statement on ag... by TODAY'S TMJ4
The lawsuit says the two auto brands alone, including their parent and/or affiliated companies, "represent 66% of all auto thefts in Milwaukee."
Barton Cerjak S.C. co-founder James Barton said they first started the case to make a difference in the community.
“The City of Milwaukee was under siege given the rash of stolen vehicles, and when no other firms were willing to take on Kia and Hyundai to hold them accountable, we decided we had to do something," Barton said in part in a statement Thursday. "We hope the fix developed by Kia and Hyundai will be implemented quickly, that all affected owners will be appropriately compensated, and that this problem will soon be in the past."
You can read the full lawsuit below:
Kia Hyundai Lawsuit by TODAY'S TMJ4
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
