Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Takata and Honda After Accident Linked to Faulty Airbag

On Monday, November 17th, Takata Corp and Honda Motor Corp, who have both issued numerous safety recalls and been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent months due to faulty airbags that will explode when a part corrodes, now face a wrongful death lawsuit from a family that linked a car accident to the airbags.

Hien Tran died last month from complications on October 2nd, three days after her 2001 model year Honda Accord hit another car, and the airbag, which should have deployed to keep her safe, instead exploded and caused numerous fatal injuries.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Florida. A medical examiner involved in her family’s case said that Tran had “stab-like wounds” from the airbag shrapnel. Her wounds were so severe, in fact, that her death was originally investigated as a homicide.

Numerous other automobile manufacturers have issued safety recalls after discovering Takata airbags used in their cars and SUVs, including BMW, Mazda, Toyota, and General Motors. Honda’s previous Takata airbag safety recalls covered 560,000 vehicles in April, then over 1 million in June. The NHTSA demanded more airbag information from Honda just one day before the Japanese automobile manufacturer expanded the safety recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an urgent safety recall covering 4.7 million vehicles with Takata airbags.

The safety recall spans numerous vehicle manufacturers, including Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, BMW, and General Motors, which have all used Takata airbags for years in their cars, trucks, and SUVs. The NHTSA’s safety recall was issued on Monday, October 20th, and the federal regulatory agency urged consumers with vehicles manufactured by one of these automotive companies to have their airbags inspected and replaced immediately.

The wrongful death lawsuit, which has not been consolidated as part of a different class action lawsuit filed by vehicle owners affected by the Takata airbag recall, alleges that Honda and Takata both failed to warn customers in a timely fashion about the airbags’ dangers, which led to car accidents and serious personal injuries and deaths.

Tran’s death is one of four in the United States that have been linked to the faulty Takata airbags. A fifth faulty airbag death was uncovered in Malaysia.

AFFECTED VEHICLES (total number if known in parentheses):

• Acura: 2002–2003 CL and TL; 2003–2006 MDX; 2005 RL
• BMW (627,615): 2000–2005 3-series sedan and wagon; 2000–2006 3-series coupe and convertible; 2001–2006 M3 coupe and convertible
• Chrysler (371,309, including Dodge): 2005–2008 Chrysler 300; 2007–2008 Aspen
• Dodge/Ram (371,309, including Chrysler): 2003–2008 Dodge Ram 1500; 2005–2008 Ram 2500, Dakota, and Durango; 2006–2008 Ram 3500 and 4500; 2008 Ram 5500
• Ford (58,669): 2004 Ranger; 2005–2006 GT; 2005–2007 Mustang
• Honda (5,051,364, including Acura): 2001–2007 Accord; 2001–2005 Civic; 2002–2006 CR-V; 2002–2004 Odyssey; 2003–2011 Element; 2003–2007 Pilot; 2006 Ridgeline
• Infiniti: 2001–2004 Infiniti I30/I35; 2002–2003 Infiniti QX4; 2003–2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45; 2006 Infiniti M35/M45
• Lexus: 2002–2005 SC430
• Mazda (64,872): 2003–2007 Mazda 6; 2006–2007 Mazdaspeed 6; 2004–2008 Mazda RX-8; 2004–2005 MPV; 2004 B-series
• Mitsubishi (11,985): 2004–2005 Lancer; 2006–2007 Raider
• Nissan (717,364, including Infiniti): 2001–2003 Maxima; 2001–2004 Pathfinder; 2002–2006 Nissan Sentra
• Pontiac: 2003–2005 Vibe
• Saab: 2005 9-2X
• Subaru (17,516): 2003–2005 Baja, Legacy, Outback; 2004–2005 Impreza, Impreza WRX, Impreza WRX STI
• Toyota (877,000, including Lexus and Pontiac Vibe): 2002–2005 Toyota Corolla and Sequoia; 2003–2005 Matrix, Tundra

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury and Vehicle Recalls

If an airbag defect in your vehicle caused a car accident, you may not know immediately what recourse you have. Although the law is complicated, you do have legal recourse against the vehicle’s manufacturer. It is important for manufacturers to pay attention to the quality of their products and issue vehicle recall notices in a timely fashion – however, not all automobile manufacturers will do so, and consumers can be seriously injured or killed.

If you have experienced a problem with a defective product in your automobile, especially if a defective part has led to an auto accident or personal injury, and a proper vehicle recall notice has not been issued, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We can help you with complicated auto insurance claims, and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve to help you with lost income and medical bills. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in South Carolina, Georgia, and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today at (803) 252-4800.