Defective Airbag Lawsuit Saga Continues

More chapters are being written in the ongoing story of the largest automotive-related recall in history—the Takata airbag. The recall has now affected about 100 million vehicles. A separate defect was recently announced that affects a small number of vehicles. An additional death, the eleventh in the United States, was blamed on the problem.

Separate, Smaller Recall Airbag Recall

In September, BMW announced that it would be recalling about 4,000 vehicles to replace defective airbag components. The vehicles, all 2014 and 2015 model SUVs, are equipped with driver-side airbags that might have a faulty weld. The defect could lead to part of the base of the airbag coming loose when deployed, potentially causing injury or death to the driver.

It’s a different problem from the one behind the initial massive recall, which involves a faulty or contaminated explosive in airbag detonators. That issue can cause an airbag to deploy with too much force, blowing apart and sending shrapnel into the driver and passengers—an event that has happened many times, injuring more than 100 and killing at least 15 people worldwide.

Airbag Death Added in October

United States regulators confirmed that a defective airbag had claimed another life in America. The death of a California woman in September was determined to have been the result of a defective airbag in her Honda Civic. Most Civic models manufactured between 2001 and 2011 are on the published list of vehicles affected by this recall.

Airbag Recall Far From Over

The scale of this recall is monumental, and most manufacturers have so far replaced the defective parts in very few of their vehicles. As of early October, no manufacturer had yet fixed even half of its affected vehicles, and some, including GM, had barely addressed the problem. The major bottleneck is the time it’s taking for replacement parts to be manufactured and distributed. It might take years before the recall is finally completed.

If your vehicle is affected, you should have the appropriate dealership make the recall replacement as soon as possible. These airbags are dangerous, and every time you get in the car, you put yourself at risk.

Contact a Products Liability Attorney Today

Consumers should not have to put themselves in danger simply because a product they use is unsafe. In fact, there’s a whole area of law devoted to holding company’s responsible for manufacturing a defective product.

When someone is injured, the manufacturer of a defective or dangerous product needs to be held accountable. It’s also important to make sure that no additional consumers are harmed, which requires forcing the manufacturer to fix or discontinue the dangerous product.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of a defective product, contact the Indianapolis Products Liability Attorneys of Wilson Kehoe Winingham. The lawyers at WKW can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out an online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

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