Your vehicle’s air bag is supposed to keep you safe in the event of a collision. In the case of Takata air bags, however, the bags themselves have become a danger. Product defects like these can lead to serious injuries for drivers and passengers alike.
There is significant evidence of injury and defects associated with the installation of Takata air bags. If you or a loved one was injured by a Takata air bag, you may be able to recover compensation for those injuries through a product liability or defective product claim. Do not hesitate to have your Takata air bag recall case evaluated by an experienced personal injury attorney at Bart Durham Injury Law.
What Is The Takata Air Bag Recall?
Takata Corporation is a major auto parts company based in Japan. It develops and supplies safety parts like seat belts, steering wheel systems, child restraint systems and air bags to many major automakers worldwide.
Takata air bags have been identified as particularly dangerous and thus have been recalled on a large scale. The danger lies with the air bag’s inflator. The inflator is a metal cartridge that is loaded with propellant wafers. Under the right conditions (environmental moisture, high temperature and the product’s age), the air bag can inflate with explosive force. This leads to metal shards being sprayed into the passenger cabin, typically into the driver’s face and neck. Injuries sustained by explosive Takata air bags have been serious and in some cases fatal.
Perhaps most alarming is Takata’s awareness of the product defect prior to sending the air bag to market. Such negligence justifies product liability claims and substantial financial recoveries for injured parties across Tennessee and the United States.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expanded its recall, ordering 35 to 40 million air bag inflators to be replaced through 2019. Cars affected include a wide range of auto manufacturers (Toyota, Ford, General Motors, etc.), makes and models typically including model years 2002 through 2015.