NHTSA Confirms 28th Death Caused By Defective Takata Airbags

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently confirmed the 28th death caused by a defective Takata airbag. According to Newsweek, the victim was driving a 2004 Honda Civic at the time of his death. While the accident report noted that speed was a factor in the collision, the NHTSA ultimately concluded that the victim’s fatal injuries were the result of his airbag exploding during the collision. In these types of cases, hiring an experienced airbag defect lawyer can be essential for grieving family members who need to ensure that they do not bear the financial costs of Takata’s wrongdoing.

Latest Airbag Fatality “Underscores the Importance of Replacing Every Recalled Takata Airbag”

As the NHTSA reportedly told Newsweek in an email, this latest confirmed Takata airbag-related death “underscores the importance of replacing every recalled Takata airbag.” Honda, like virtually all other major automotive manufacturers, has recalled numerous vehicles sold with Takata airbags over the past 25 years. While Honda reports that 95.1 percent of its recalled vehicles have been repaired, it only takes one defective airbag to cause life-altering or life-threatening injuries.

The NHTSA is also warning that as vehicles get older, the risk of a dangerous or deadly airbag explosion increases. As a result, regardless of how old a vehicle may be, getting its defective airbags replaced needs to be a priority. Like many other automakers, Honda is offering not only free airbag replacements, but also free loaner vehicles “for the day of the recall repair or longer if a replacement part is temporarily unavailable.”

In total, approximately 67 million vehicles sold in the United States between 2000 and 2017 were equipped with defective airbags manufactured by Takata. While only an extremely small percentage of these airbags have been blamed for injuries and fatalities, no one should suffer harm caused by a defective airbag. This is why the NHTSA is taking the Takata recall so seriously—and it is why victims and their families should promptly consult with an airbag defect lawyer about their legal rights.

How Defective Takata Airbags Can Cause Fatal Injuries

If airbags are supposed to help protect drivers and passengers in the event of a crash, how are Takata’s defective airbags causing unnecessary deaths? The 28 deaths tracked by the NHTSA have all involved airbag explosions.

When a vehicle equipped with airbags is involved in an accident, the vehicle’s airbags need to deploy almost instantaneously in order to help prevent serious or fatal injuries. To do this, modern airbags rely on an inflator mechanism that releases a gas into the airbag, causing it to fully inflate in about one-twentieth of a second (or about the blink of an eye).

Rather than inflating properly, in some cases, Tataka’s defective airbags are exploding.

The extreme force of these airbag explosions—which occur in close proximity to drivers’ and passengers’ heads and chests—is more than enough to cause serious (and potentially life-threatening) trauma. However, this isn’t the only risk facing drivers and passengers. As the Insurance Journal reports, exploding airbags can also “unleash[] metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks killing or injuring drivers or other vehicle occupants.”

What To Do if You Have Lost a Loved One Due to an Airbag Explosion

If you have lost a loved one due to an airbag explosion, it is important that you take appropriate legal action. The simple fact is that airbag explosions should not happen. Yet, they do happen—as confirmed by the NHTSA—and when these tragic incidents happen, grieving families have clear legal rights.

To protect your legal rights after a fatal airbag explosion, you should:

1. Find Out if the Vehicle is Subject to a Takata Airbag Recall

If possible, you should find out if the vehicle in which your loved one was fatally injured is subject to a Takata airbag recall. The NHTSA maintains an updated list of recalled makes and models on its website, and if you have the vehicle identification number (VIN), you can check the vehicle’s recall status using the NHTSA’s recall tool. If you aren’t sure whether the vehicle is subject to a Takata airbag recall, that’s okay—our lawyers can help.

2. Keep As Much Documentation As Possible

As you try to move forward, you should do your best to keep as much documentation as possible. This includes any documentation from your loved one’s accident (i.e., the police report), insurance documents, medical records and any other documentation you may receive. You should keep track of your direct out-of-pocket costs as well, including costs for your loved one’s funeral and interment.

3. Avoid Relying on Misleading Information or Bad Advice

If you have grounds to pursue a Takata airbag lawsuit, it is extremely important that you avoid relying on misleading information or bad advice. Unfortunately, these are not hard to come by, so you need to be careful.

4. Talk to an Airbag Defect Lawyer

The best way to avoid relying on misleading information or bad advice is to talk to an airbag defect lawyer who has your best interests in mind. Your initial consultation is completely free, so it costs nothing to learn about your legal rights.

5. Work with Your Lawyer to Make Informed Decisions

Once you speak with an airbag defect lawyer, you will want to work with your lawyer to make informed decisions. This includes deciding whether to file a lawsuit. If you decide to file a lawsuit, it will also include deciding when (and if) to consider an out-of-court settlement.

Do You Have a Takata Airbag Lawsuit? Find Out from an Experienced Airbag Defect Lawyer for Free

If you have tragically lost a loved one in a fatal accident involving an airbag explosion, we offer our deepest sympathies, and we strongly encourage you to contact us so that we can help. To speak with an experienced airbag defect lawyer in confidence as soon as possible, give us a call at 866-247-2247 or request a free consultation online today.