Takata Airbag Recall

Takata Airbag Recall

More than a dozen people worldwide, most in America, have lost their lives due to defective Takata Corporation airbags. Countless others have been injured. As the Takata airbag recall scandal continues, it is essential to remember your rights as a consumer. Let our attorneys know if you have been hurt by a Takata airbag exploding. During a free consultation, our team can explain your rights and what you should do next if you want to create a lawsuit for damages.

Injuries Caused by Takata Airbags

Takata Corporation designed their airbags to use ammonium nitrate as a propellant without thoroughly researching how the chemical would react in different conditions. As would be later revealed, compressed ammonium nitrate becomes unstable when exposed to high temperatures and/or humidity for extended periods of time. With or without any impact, this unstable substance can explode violently, destroying the steering wheel and sending sharp shrapnel to the driver and anyone else in the vehicle.

Consequences of defective Takata airbags that have been reported include:

  • Traumatic head injury
  • Lacerations
  • Disfigurement
  • Death

Consumer Concerns Continue

As of spring 2016, the Takata airbag recall has expanded to include an additional 40 million airbags, bring the total to close to 70 million. So far, only a fraction of these airbags have been recalled and replaced but this does not mean safer times are ahead for consumers. Reports indicate that many of the replaced airbags have been swapped out for the exact same defective airbag, only produced more recently and incorrectly deemed “safe” for now.

Furthermore, new vehicles are being produced that contain defective Takata airbags. The logic behind this decision is that it will take at least two or three years before the airbag’s ammonium nitrate becomes unstable, allowing the companies to use the airbags in new products if they are once again recalled later. This is clearly dangerous thinking and unfairly puts drivers at risk of severe injury.

Four automakers that are still using the defective Takata airbags in 2016 and 2017 models include:

  • Fiat Chrysler
  • Mitsubishi
  • Toyota
  • Volkswagen

For a complete list of vehicles affected, and to see if your car may be dangerous, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recall-spotlight/takata-air-bags.

Helping the Consumer Find Justice, Safety, and Compensation

We believe that protecting the consumer’s inherent right to safety through functional and properly-designed products is one of the most essential duties of a personal injury attorney. If you have been harmed by a Takata airbag, we want to be the team that helps you let this international manufacturer and automakers know that their negligence has caused harm, and requires compensation.

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