An Exploding Takata Airbag Linked to Another Death
We wrote about the fact that Takata airbags are still in the news back in September. We are covering this issue again today because, according to an article in The State, many owners of Honda vehicles have not yet had their defective airbags replaces. The automaker and federal safety regulators have sent recall notices to the mailing address of every registered vehicle that is included in the recall, but the truth is that a lot of dealerships simply don’t have enough replacement pieces to go around.
Once again, people are at risk of serious injuries because Takata put its own profits ahead of public safety. More than 69 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled due to the possibility of rupture, but government safety regulators said that there are more than 300,000 older model Hondas and Acuras that have about a 50% chance of exploding in a crash. Instead of saving the life of the driver and the front seat passenger, it could take their life or cause grave injury.
A serious accident waiting to happen
Auto manufacturers are warning that the airbag inflators have an extremely high chance of exploding and causing injury or death to the driver, and in some cases, severe injury to the front seat passenger as well. Another defective Takata airbag ruptured and killed a California woman in October 2016. There have been 11 deaths in the U.S. related to the airbags and 16 worldwide. The injuries caused by the force of the explosion have been compared to those caused by stab wounds. At least two people have permanent vision loss. One person sustained permanent brain damage as a result of multiple strokes.
Is your car affected?
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has developed a database where they track automotive safety recalls. You can visit SaferCar.gov and enter your vehicle’s VIN number and find out if your vehicle is the subject of any safety recalls. While you are there you can subscribe and have recall notifications emailed to you.
If you have suffered a serious injury due to an injury caused by a defective auto product, you may be able to file a products liability lawsuit to recover financial compensation. The knowledgeable South Carolina products liability attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC can help you as they have helped countless clients before you win compensation get you the compensation you deserve. Call 803-327-7800 or contact us today for a free consultation.
Randy is the former President of the South Carolina Association for Justice. He has been certified by the American Board of Professional Liability as a specialist in Medical Malpractice Law which is recognized by the South Carolina Bar. Randy has also been awarded the distinction of being a “Super Lawyer” 10 times in the last decade. He has over 25 years of experience helping injured people fight back against corporations, hospitals and wrong-doers.
Read more about S. Randall Hood