The Takata airbag recall is the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. It involves 67 million Takata airbags, and tens of thousands of additional vehicles are added to the list each year. The defective airbags can deploy with deadly force, shooting shrapnel upon inflation, leading to serious injuries, such as hearing and vision loss and facial lacerations, even in minor accidents.
While defects can happen in any product, the real issue lies in how a company handles such knowledge. In Takata's case, they became aware of the defect as early as 2000 but failed to address it until 2014. When most automobile manufacturers learned of the defect, they delayed their recalls, closed their eyes, crossed their fingers, and hoped nothing bad would happen.
At Morgan & Morgan, we’ve handled over 170 individual Takata airbag cases, achieving settlements ranging from $500,000 to over $15 million for victims whose lives have been upended by this deadly defect.
These cases aren't just about compensation—they're about corporate accountability. Takata and the automakers who knowingly installed their dangerous airbags prioritized profit over safety.
How Did This Happen?
It wasn't just a manufacturing error—it was a deliberate cost-cutting decision. Major automakers prioritized cost savings, prompting Takata to propose using ammonium nitrate — a volatile chemical commonly found in explosives — rather than the safer guanidine nitrate. This shift saved about $2 per inflater. The result? Millions of airbags were installed in vehicles from the late '90s through the early 2000s, creating a deadly risk to drivers and passengers worldwide.
The Takata airbag crisis began in June 2014 when the federal government opened an investigation into these defective airbags. The following May, Takata acknowledged the defect and recalled 32 million inflators. Over the following years, additional recalls were issued as the extent of the problem became alarmingly clear, leading to one of the most significant safety crises in automotive history.
In early 2017, Takata pled guilty to wire fraud and was ordered to pay $1 billion in penalties. Facing mounting lawsuits and liabilities, Takata filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June of that year. Despite all of this, millions of vehicles with these defective airbags remain on the road today.
Handling a Takata Airbag Case
At Morgan & Morgan, we have a dedicated team with a proven procedure for approaching Takata airbag cases:
1. Every auto case is cross-screened for injuries consistent with an airbag inflator rupture including vision loss, facial and torso lacerations, and hearing loss.
2. Once a case is identified, our investigative teams procure and examine crash evidence to determine whether an airbag inflator rupture has occurred by searching for holes or tears in the airbag.
3. Victims can seek compensation from funds like the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund.
4. However, they can also opt out of the trust fund process and file a lawsuit if they believe the evaluation and award are insufficient for the injuries sustained.
5. Liability can extend beyond Takata to car manufacturers, dealerships, and repair shops. Each case must be evaluated individually depending on state laws and the details of the accident.
This Goes Beyond Takata
Unfortunately, the danger of exploding airbags does not end with Takata. There is also a rising dangerous trend of Chinese-made counterfeit airbags being installed in cars driven by U.S. consumers. The risk of which was tragically illustrated by the death of Destiny Byassee, a 22-year-old mother who was killed when a counterfeit airbag exploded in a minor accident. The car she was driving was originally a rental car that had been previously totaled and was then sold at auction. The auction house and the mechanic hired to repair the vehicle stand accused of buying and illegally installing the counterfeit airbag.
This case highlights the need for stricter regulations on repair shops that install these unsafe products without the owners’ knowledge. Not only is it a cruel irony that these products designed to save lives have caused devastating injuries and deaths, but it is also the direct result of corporate greed.
The Fight Continues
Currently, there are more than 40 million vehicles worldwide still being driven with defective airbags—ticking time bombs installed in the steering wheels and dashboards of unwitting consumers. Each case is an opportunity to bring justice to families struck by avoidable tragedy, hold corporations responsible, and raise awareness - taking more of these dangerous vehicles off our roads.
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