Takata Airbag Recall Lawyers

Takata is one of the world’s largest vehicle airbag manufacturers. When the company began notifying carmakers about a large number of defective airbags beginning in 2014, it set off a wave of legal action.

Since then, millions of airbags have been recalled by Takata due to a dangerous defect. If you were injured due to a defective airbag, an experienced mass tort attorney could help you hold Takata accountable. It can be difficult to know exactly what your next steps should be, so let a Takata airbag recall lawyer advise you of your options today.

Takata Airbag Defects

The dangerous defect within the airbag is related to its mechanism for inflating during a crash. In an effort to reduce costs, Takata relied on an inexpensive propellant to inflate the airbags when a crash is detected. Problems arose because the propellent began to degrade over time.

This defect causes the inflator within the airbag to explode during an accident. Instead of rapidly inflating an airbag, the inflator explodes, launching pieces of metal at the occupants of the vehicle. This metal functions as shrapnel, tearing into the bodies of drivers and passengers alike. These defects are especially common in areas with high temperatures and humidity.

Airbag Defect Injuries

The injuries that can result from a defective Takata airbag can be devastating. Because these defects launch metal shards into a vehicle during a crash, the injuries that result often resemble gunshot wounds. Some of the injuries that have been seen in these incidents include:

  • Deep lacerations
  • Loss of vision
  • Permanent hearing loss
  • Broken bones
  • Brain injuries
  • Vocal cord injuries
  • Skull fractures

These injuries could have catastrophic life-long effects for anyone involved in an accident. To address the hardship that comes with these injuries, it could be helpful to work with a Takata airbag recall attorney.

Eligibility for Legal Action

Any person that was injured due to a defective Takata airbag has the right to pursue a civil lawsuit for their injuries. This lawsuit is typically targeted at Takata as the maker of the defective airbag inflator. However, many injured individuals choose to file suit against the vehicle maker as well. There are reports of many vehicle manufacturers failing to recall vehicles even after they learned of the dangerous airbags. Even if a manufacturer is not responsible for designing the airbag, the company could be on the hook for injuries that could have been avoided with a timely recall.

Another thing to remember is that fault in the underlying car accident has no bearing on a plaintiff’s claim. Even if the driver that was injured by the airbag was at fault for the accident, that does not absolve Takata of their duty to offer airbags that are safe to use.

Another issue beyond the fact that these airbags were defective is Takata’s inadequate response. Takata was first notified of the possibility of a defect in 2001. Despite that fact, it took many more years for the company to finally recall all of the impacted airbag inflators. A Takata airbag recall attorney could provide assistance in initiating legal action against the manufacturer based on these failures.

Contact a Takata Airbag Recall Attorney Today

If you were injured by a Takata airbag during an accident, you might be entitled to compensation. This is the case even if you were deemed ultimately responsible for the accident itself. Pursuing legal action against a major airbag manufacturer is never simple. Allow a Takata airbag recall lawyer to guide you through the claims process. Contact us today to get started.