Takata, Airbags, Shrapnel, and You
When we drive in our cars, we expect the glass to not shatter, the frame to withstand a rollover, and our airbags to make an accident less likely to result in injury. Sadly, we can no longer trust that these ubiquitous safety measures are as safe as we thought. Many people have now been injured and even killed due to defects in airbags manufactured by Takata.
It seems that different brands and models of vehicles are being recalled all the time, and now there has been yet another death. This brings the confirmed deaths linked to the faulty Takata airbags to eleven. These are tragic deaths that could have been easily avoided. You can find out if your accident injuries are part of this national tragedy by contacting a New York car accident lawyer from Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP.
Takata Timeline
Takata first announced the problem in April 2013, and automakers began recalls in July 2013. It has been reported that they and Honda knew about the danger since investigating an accident in Alabama in 2004. This was nearly ten years before they publicly acknowledged the risk to consumers. The dangerous airbags explode improperly, perhaps with too much force, sending fragments of the container flying into the face, neck, and torso of the victim.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that the reason this is happening is because Takata used ammonium nitrate-based propellant without a chemical drying agent. This explains why so many vehicles in hot and humid environments have been affected. When these chemicals are exposed to these hot and humid environments, they can deteriorate and burn faster, destroying the canister and peppering the victim with shrapnel when they explode.
Recall Process
One of the most frustrating factors is that Takata does not really know which cars have bad systems and have had to issue huge recalls just to investigate the airbags currently installed. Most owners should receive some kind of recall notification in the mail and there are full lists of the affected vehicles available if you want to check if yours is on one of them.
Some unlucky people, sadly, never had this opportunity and have been seriously injured and killed in otherwise minor accidents.
Free Consultation with an Experienced NYC Car Crash Attorney
If you or someone you care about has been injured in an accident due to defective airbags, you need to get all the information you can and figure out whom to hold accountable. Of course, Takata is the main party, but are the Honda manufacturer or the dealer partially liable? These are questions you will need a capable car accident lawyer from Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP to help you with so that you can hold the people that failed to stop this from happening accountable.
Please give us a call at 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) and schedule a free, no-obligation legal evaluation and find out what we can accomplish together. You may also fill out the form below to have an associate call you back at your convenience.
