Texas couple seeking $1million from body shop that GLUED their car roof instead of welding it during a repair - which resulted in horror injuries when they later crashed

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A Dallas couple left seriously injured after being involved in a car crash are now seeking more than $1million from an auto repair shop that glued the roof of their car instead of welding it prior to the accident.

Matthew and Marcia Seebachan nearly died when their 2010 Honda Fit was hit by another car on US 281 in Burnet County on December 21, 2013 as they were on their way to spend Christmas with her grandmother, according to court documents.

The lawsuit alleges that a domino effect of structural failures was set off after the collision due to the metal roof being glued on by John Eagle Collision Center and not welded as specified by Honda. 

The defective roof repair caused the Honda's safety cage to collapse and the fuel tank ruptured below the driver's seat, the lawsuit claims. 

Matthew, 33, was trapped behind the steering wheel and remained conscious as flames burned his feet and lower legs. 

Matthew and Marcia Seebachan nearly died when their 2010 Honda Fit was hit by another car on US 281 in Burnet County on December 21, 2013. They are now suing an auto repair shop that glued the roof of their car instead of welding it prior to the accident

The defective roof repair caused the car's safety cage to collapse and the fuel tank ruptured below the driver's seat. Matthew was trapped behind the steering wheel and remained conscious as flames burned his feet and lower legs. They were rescued by passing motorists

He was pulled from the wreck by a passing motorist and his 29-year-old wife was rescued via the passenger window from the destroyed car. 

When the couple bought the used car in August of 2013 from the Huffines Kia in Denton, the CarFax report did not state that repair work had been completed on the roof by the John Eagle Collision Center.

The couple's lawyer, Todd Tracy stated: "There was no way the Seebachans or anyone from Huffines Kia could see that the roof was glued rather than being welded because paint and shiny trim covered up a time bomb.'  

They only had the car for approximately four months before the accident.

During a deposition, body shop director John Boyce revealed that the roof of the car was in fact repaired with glue instead of being welded.  

Boyce said the previous owner of the car had taken it to John Eagle Collision Center to have the roof repaired following a hail storm in July 2012. 

When the couple bought the used car in August of 2013 from the Huffines Kia in Denton, the CarFax report did not state that repair work had been completed on the roof by the John Eagle Collision Center (file above)

The Seebachans (above) claim in their lawsuit that since the Honda was not repaired properly, the fuel tank and structural integrity of the car was compromised in the crash. They are seeking at least $1million in the lawsuit

Boyce admitted that the company ignored Honda's repair specifications.

'The testimony and facts in this defective repair lawsuit clearly show that John Eagle Collision Center used glue instead of the more expensive welding because it cares more about getting paid by the insurance company than they care about putting a vehicle out there on the road that's safe and reliable," Tracy said. 

The Seebachans claim in their lawsuit that since the Honda was not repaired properly, the fuel tank and structural integrity of the car was compromised in the crash.  

'It is effectively disconnected from the structure and did not provide the necessary contribution to the overall vehicle structure,' court documents state.

'There are no welds at the flange between the roof and the cant rail.' 

Tracy said: 'John Eagle Collision Center, by covering up its arrogant repair of using glue rather than following the manufacturer's body repair specifications and using welds just like Honda had done when they designed, developed, and tested the vehicle, created a time bomb that was waiting to explode.'