Urgent recall warnings may reduce injuries from defective product

Although a driver may not have control over other drivers’ negligent actions, safety features like antilock brakes and driver and passenger airbags can provide another layer of protection. For that reason, any defect in those safety features should be replaced as soon as possible.

For owners of a motor vehicle containing a part that is subject to a recall, the necessary repairs are typically done free of charge by the dealer, who is reimbursed by the automaker. Regarding the recall of certain vehicles with Takata air bags, however, the timing is urgent.

Specifically, officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warn that the defective airbags may actually pose a serious threat to vehicle occupants. Based on a new round of tests, the air bags may rupture and spray out metal shrapnel. Accordingly, NHTSA regulators have warned against driving any of the affected vehicles until the airbags can be replaced. The models affected by the recall include Hondas and Acuras manufactured between 2001 and 2003.

According to estimates, malfunctioning Takata airbags have been implicated in hundreds of injuries and possibly 10 deaths. By 2019, the NHTSA estimates that nearly 70 million Takata air bags will have been recalled. That number represents the largest recall of any product in the United States’ history.

Someone who has been injured by a dangerous and defective product may be struggling with medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. He or she may not know how to seek compensation from the manufacturer of the faulty product. Fortunately, a laywer can handle these and other aspects of a product liability claim. The only step that an injured consumer must take is calling to schedule the initial consultation.

Source: Washington Post, “Citing Takata air bags, regulators tell some Honda and Acura owners not to drive,” Ashley Halsey III, June 30, 2016