(619) 777-1234
More than 100 million vehicles across the United States have been subjected to a nationwide recall for defective driver- and passenger-side air bags made by Japanese automotive parts manufacturer Takata Corporation, amid reports of the air bags rupturing and sending metal shrapnel flying into the passenger compartment of affected vehicles.
To date, the faulty Takata-made air bags have been linked to more than 100 injuries and at least 13 deaths in vehicles manufactured by 17 different automakers. If you were injured in an accident involving a defective Takata air bag, consult an experienced attorney as soon as possible to discuss the possibility of filing a claim for compensation.
The Takata air bag recall is “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affecting more than 100 million vehicles from more than a dozen auto manufacturing companies, including Honda, Ford, Toyota, Acura, BMW, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Mazda. The recalled vehicles were equipped with Takata-made air bags that, when deployed even in minor collisions, could deploy explosively and shoot metal shrapnel at drivers and passengers, turning what was intended as a safety feature into an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly vehicle component.
In early May 2016, Takata Corporation reported that it was declaring another 35 million to 40 million U.S. air bag inflators defective at the urging of federal regulators, bringing the total number of recalled vehicles up to 100 million or more. According to Toyota, this latest air bag recall affects some, but not all, models of Matrix, Corolla, Yaris, 4Runner, Scion xB, Sienna, and Lexus ES, GX and IS vehicles manufactured between 2006 and 2011. Later that same month, Toyota announced that it would recall close to 1.6 million additional U.S. vehicles for front-passenger-side Takata-made air bags that could overinflate and rupture.
The root of the problem is the inflator used in Takata-made air bags, a metal cartridge loaded with propellant wafers, which can cause metal shrapnel to be sprayed into the passenger compartment of a vehicle if the inflator housing ruptures with explosive force in an accident. Although the various Takata air bag recalls affect vehicles manufactured and sold throughout the United States, Takata’s primary focus will be on replacing vehicles’ air bag inflators in geographic locations that experience persistent heat and absolute humidity, like Florida and Hawaii, as these factors are thought to have an effect on the performance of the inflators.
Through various recall announcements, the Takata air bag recall has tripled in size over the past year, but there are still millions more vehicles out there with Takata air bags that have yet to be recalled. As a result of the air bag defect, the Japanese auto parts maker faces a growing number of lawsuits filed on behalf of vehicle owners who suffered severe injuries when their air bags ruptured, and on behalf of families who have lost loved ones in accidents with defective Takata air bags. In one highly-publicized air bag settlement, Takata agreed to pay $3 million in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a woman who was killed when the air bags in her Honda Accord ruptured in an accident.
If you or a loved one has been adversely affected by a defective Takata air bag, contact the knowledgeable product liability lawyers at Monroe Law Group today at to discuss your legal options. You may have grounds to file a lawsuit against Takata Corporation, in order to seek fair and timely reimbursement for your injuries, past and future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, funeral expenses and other damages associated with the faulty air bags.
There is no risk to you in consulting one of our lawyers today. Contact Monroe Law Group now by phone at 866-308-1092 or by email at intake@monroelawgroup.com to arrange for your free, no-obligation consultation.
