Takata Airbag Death Toll Rises Despite Recalls

April 14, 2016

In the United States alone, a total of 11 innocent victims have lost their lives due to defective Takata airbags, as the Takata airbag death toll increases by two recent deaths linked to the faulty product.

Last month, a 17-year-old high school student from Richmond, Texas, died after her 2002 Honda Civic rear-ended another vehicle, causing the car’s defective Takata airbag to deploy. Local law enforcement officials said the young girl was wearing her seatbelt and was not speeding at the time of the accident.

Danny Beckwith, a Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Deputy, said the crash only resulted in slight damage to the Honda and the victim should have survived with only minor injuries. Instead, metal shrapnel from the exploding airbag punctured the teenager’s neck and carotid artery, causing her to die at the scene of the accident.

Yesterday, a Jacksonville, Florida, woman died as a result of severe injuries she sustained after a Takata airbag exploded during a slow-speed crash in 2014. Prior to the 2014 accident, the woman was reportedly very active and healthy, and she spent most of her days enjoying her retirement in Florida. Following the accident, the woman was paralyzed from the neck down and spent her remaining days in a hospital intensive care unit.

The woman’s family blames her injuries and subsequent death on the defective Takata airbag inside her 2001 Honda Civic. The woman was driving her Civic when she collided with an SUV. The crash occurred four days before Honda announced its vehicle recalls in Florida and California.

In response to the woman’s recent passing, Florida Senator Bill Nelson, stated “current recall efforts are just not getting the job done” and that “Takata and the automakers have to step up their efforts to locate, notify and fix every impacted car as soon as possible ”before anyone else dies.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also responded to the recent deaths, saying it “has demanded that manufacturers work to a 100 percent completion rate, and take all efforts necessary to reach that goal.”

To date, 14 different automakers have issued recalls for nearly 30 million vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbags. The airbags can explode when deployed and spray metal shrapnel throughout the vehicles, which can cause serious injury or death to drivers and passengers.

If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a defective Takata airbag, the skilled defective product attorneys at Phillips Law Group can help you join a class action lawsuit against Takata and receive the financial restitution you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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