Airbags are meant to save lives and reduce the severity of injuries during an automobile accident. Unfortunately, there have been many instances in the past where certain airbags have caused disastrous injuries and even death.
Beginning in the mid-2010s, lawsuits arose after former Takata Corporation was responsible for the largest automotive recall in U.S. history in which tens of millions of vehicles were recalled. According to lawsuits and governmental articles, Takata’s airbags led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries largely due to faulty inflators that would inflate with excessive force when activated, causing metal shrapnel to explode and spray throughout the passenger cabin. Vehicles manufactured by 19 different automakers (34 brands) were recalled, in what the NHTSA called the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. History. As the scale of the problem became more apparent, class-action lawsuits and legal actions from regulatory authorities followed. Ultimately, Takata Corporation was forced into bankruptcy in 2017 due to the sheer cost of recalls and vast litigation by families and individuals who suffered personal injuries or wrongful death caused by the defective airbags. Unfortunately, Takata’s bankruptcy was not the end of the rampant airbag dilemma.
As recent as early 2023, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) has demanded the recall of 67 million airbag inflators manufactured by ARC Automotive – a company out of Knoxville, Tennessee. According to the NHTSA, ARC airbag inflators are a safety defect that can cause airbags to explode with too much force and launch shrapnel into the passenger cabin. The NHTSA stated that byproducts from welding during the manufacturing process can clog a vent inside the inflator canister that is designed to let gas escape to quickly fill airbags in a crash. Pressure can build to the point where the canister is blown apart, causing severe injuries and even death. To date, at least three people have been killed and many others have been injured by exploding shrapnel from an ARC airbag inflator. The NHTSA said in its demand letter to the Tennessee-based company, “Air bag inflators that project metal fragments into vehicle occupants, rather than properly inflating the attached airbag, create an unreasonable risk of death and injury.” Despite these concerns, ARC has refused to issue a full-stage recall, and insists that no safety defect exists in their product. Despite ARC’s contention, it has been reported that more than 1 million ARC inflators have been recalled due to what the company describes as isolated trouble with manufacturing.
ARC Inflators have been reported to be in vehicles manufactured by General Motors, Chrysler-parent Stellantis, BMW, Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp, and other vehicles. In May 2023, General Motors agreed to recall nearly 1 million vehicles with ARC air bag inflators after a rupture in March resulted in facial injuries to a driver.
It’s important for airbag and vehicle manufacturers to ensure safety features like airbags meet rigorous standards and undergo thorough testing to prevent injuries and save the lives of motorists and passengers – not put them in jeopardy. At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, we have successfully represented individuals injured by defective Takata Airbags, and we have the knowledge, experience and resources necessary to obtain just compensation for our clients. If you or someone you know has been injured by an exploding airbag, contact an experienced attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling 713-222-7211 or toll free at 1-800-870-9584. Abraham Watkins is the longest standing personal injury firm in Texas, and our attorneys are standing by to assist you with your claim.