Defective Air Bags Affect Millions of Vehicles

If you have an airbag system in your vehicle, you likely take comfort in this additional piece of safety equipment. But because of a defect, your airbag may now present a serious risk of injury. Takata Corporation, a Japanese company, is the second largest manufacturer of vehicle safety equipment including airbags. But in the past several years, Takata has experienced problems with its airbags. The defective airbags can explode causing injury and even death. The explosions are different from an intended deployment in a crash. Instead, the defective airbags actually detonate and shoot shrapnel at drivers and passengers. In fact, in at least one incident, the metal ejected during the airbag explosion was so hot it set fire to the instrument panel and glove compartment of the vehicle. 

As a result, in recent days, Nissan and Honda have recalled more than 3 million vehicles because of defective Takata airbags, and Mazda has recalled a smaller number of vehicles. More recalls may be looming as Chrysler, Ford and BMW are investigating the issue in their vehicles. And, it is important to note that these recent recalls are in addition to earlier recalls involving millions of vehicles affected with the same airbag problem.

The cause of the explosions appears to be related to inadequate pressure and excess moisture during production of the airbags. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is, of course, investigating the problem and is also studying whether driving in high humidity presents an increased risk factor for the explosions, which is troubling news for Tennessee drivers as we enter the hot and humid summer months.  You can visit the NTHSA’s website to determine if you vehicle is affected by the recall and the steps to take to address the problem.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective airbag, you may have a product liability claim. If you would like to discuss your case with one of our award-winning lawyers, we would be happy to talk to you during a free, no-obligation consultation. Simply give us a call at 615-742-4880 or toll-free at 866-812-8787 or fill out this form and we will call you. We handle all accident cases on a contingency basis so we only get paid if we recover money for you.

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