Are You Driving a Car With Dangerous Airbags?

The airbags in your car may not be safe, and we want you to double-check. An airbag manufacturer that once occupied 20% of the world’s airbag market recently became subject to “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.” We want you to determine whether the driver and passenger airbags in your car are subject to the recall:

1. Check for recalls with your vehicle identification number (“VIN”) here.
2. Call your local dealer to get a fix.

Overview

Roughly 37 million vehicles equipped with 50 million defective Takata airbags are under recall. Prolonged exposure to high heat and humidity can cause the Takata airbags to explode when deployed. To-date, 24 deaths and 300 injuries have been linked to defective airbags. The cooler Northeast climate of Connecticut does not mean we are off the hook. Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts drivers have also been deemed at-risk.

A Small Accident Can Be Fatal

Takata airbags were installed across numerous car models manufactured between 2002 and 2015. The source of the problem is the airbag’s inflator. The inflator is a metal cartridge filled with propellant wafers, which in some cases have ignited with deadly force—injuring or even killing vehicle occupants. The propellant used is ammonium nitrate, which degrades when exposed to heat and moisture. Ignition of the airbag inflator, in conjunction with the degraded ammonium nitrate, can cause an explosion. Where the inflator casing ruptures, metal shards from the housing can be peppered throughout the cabin. This means minor accidents can lead to severe or fatal injuries if the airbags deploy.

Brands and Models Impacted

On February 21, 2018, the Bankruptcy Court of Delaware confirmed Takata Corporation’s plan of reorganization, which plan created a $125 million fund to compensate individuals who suffered personal injury or wrongful death because of the rupture or aggressive deployment of Takata’s defective airbags. The defect has impacted the following brands:

Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Freightliner, Ford, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, McLaren, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Saab, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

For a more comprehensive list of affected models, see New York Daily News’ January 19, 2018 article, entitled “Takata Airbag Recall: A list of cars” or review a list of models compiled below in Appendix A.

Carter Mario Law Firm is Here to Help

Carter Mario Law Firm is looking at all personal injury and wrongful death claims related to defective Takata airbags. If you have been injured in a car accident resulting from the rupture or aggressive deployment of Takata’s defective airbags, then you may qualify pursuant to the claim fund criteria of the Takata bankruptcy fund or to other funds established by automobile manufacturers. Contact us 24/7 for a free case review now.

Appendix A: Models affected by Takata Air-bag Recall