Another Person Killed by a Takata Airbag
Days after Honda Malaysia announced a recall of an additional 145,000 Hondas to replace defective front passenger airbag inflators, a Malaysian woman died after the airbag in her Honda ruptured in a minor collision. When police arrived at the scene, the driver airbag had ruptured and the driver was bleeding from her chest from a shrapnel wound. The driver died shortly after the crash.
This is the second Malaysian woman who has died after being in a minor crash in a Honda equipped with a Takata airbag. In November 2016, a pregnant Malaysian woman was killed after a minor crash activated her Takata airbag. Takata is the only airbag manufacturer to use ammonium nitrate as the propellant in its airbag inflators. Studies have shown that ammonium nitrate is an unstable chemical compound in areas of extreme weather or high humidity, such as the weather found in Indonesia and across the Southeastern United States.
Ammonium nitrate is less expensive than the chemical compounds used by Takata’s competitors. Takata saved about $5.00 per airbag by using this cheaper chemical compound. Meanwhile, the deaths and serious injuries continue to mount.
Michael Phelan is a Virginia trial attorney who practices with a special focus on traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases, pharmaceutical and medical device claims, product liability cases, and truck accidents. Michael’s peers have consistently recognized him for his excellence as a trial lawyer, and his clients have praised him for his commitment to deep research, his outstanding communication skills, and his sincerity and dedication.