Takata Airbag Attorneys
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Guest Blog by Manley Frazier, Summer Intern at PERENICH The Law Firm
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The Takata airbag crisis has been labeled as the “largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.” Literally millions of vehicles from 14 different auto makers are being recalled to replace unsafe and defective frontal airbags. Takata Corporation, a major automotive parts supplier based in Japan, has been identified as the company that manufactured the defective airbags installed in cars and trucks worldwide from model years 2002-2015.Takata began manufacturing replacement airbags in September 2015, but with at least 35 million airbags being recalled the situation is grim considering that it could take years to mitigate the crisis.
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Earlier this month the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) doubled the size of the recall which now affects 35-40 million airbag inflators to be replaced. Replacement parts are not currently available to meet this demand, prompting highway safety experts to estimate that manufacturers will be unable to complete the repair and replacement program of the affected vehicles until 2019 at the earliest.
The crisis is particularly dangerous to populations with hot and humid climates according to NHTSA. Last month a Texas teen was killed from exploding metal fragments during a relatively minor car accident while driving a 2002 Honda Civic. The airbag deployed after moderate damage to the front of the vehicle. Texas authorities reported that the teen was not driving at an excessive speed and was wearing her seatbelt. One official remarked that the young driver would have had only minor injuries but for the fatal airbag deployment. According to internet news accounts, Honda Motor Corporation claimed that recall notices were sent to the owner of the vehicle involved in the crash, but the airbag had not been replaced. It was not clear if replacement parts had been made available for the vehicle or whether Honda was willing to pay for alternate transportation before the repairs could be completed. Sadly, this is the 10th reported death in the U.S. related to a Takata airbag. Reliable data has not been published as to the number of serious injuries related to the defective airbags.
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Last week Hawaii sued Takata, accusing it of covering up the airbag problem and demanding that the company pay $10,000 as a penalty for every affected car owner in that state. The penalty is intended to be restitution to vehicle owners for the cost of replacement transportation and vehicle depreciation. It is not clear if Florida or other states are considering similar legal action.
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Commentary by Attorney Greg Perenich
Special thanks to Manley Frazier for his insight in writing this informative blog post. Manley will be entering his third year at the University of Florida this fall, and will be assisting our firm over the summer months on a variety of projects. He will be posting additional blogs for our firm and we look forward to his contributions as he considers his future plans to attend law school and embark on a career in the law.
Our firm seeks to hold corporations – including auto manufacturers and parts supplies -legally accountable for negligent and wrongful conduct. We assist our clients in obtaining legal compensation due to a preventable injury or death. We are experienced in handling product liability cases on behalf of consumers in Florida. Our aim is to advocate for change in companies that place defective products in the stream of commerce and to reverse the trend of putting profits above people. Our overarching mission is to protect the rights, safety and welfare of all consumers and those that have been harmed by carelessness and negligent conduct.
The airbag crisis is particularly concerning as it may take several years for vehicle repairs to be completed on the millions of cars and trucks subject to the recall. This inordinate delay will subject drivers and passengers of the affected vehicles to greater risk of sustaining serious bodily injuries and death from the defective airbags. Thus far, neither Takata Corporation nor any of the 14 automobile manufacturers have publicly offered to pay the costs associated with substitute transportation such as rental car charges or other means of alternate transportation. We stand ready to assist Florida vehicle owners and those that have wrongfully injured by Takata airbags and other unsafe, defective products. If you have received a Recall Notice or your vehicle is listed in NHTSA’s website at safecar.gov as an affected vehicle, contact us today for a free consultation to protect yourself and your family.
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