A vehicle recall that has expanded to include over 34 million vehicles from nearly two dozen brands over the last eight months has officially been acknowledged by Takata, the Japanese company that manufactured the defective airbag inflators used in the recalled vehicles. The defective inflators and associated propellant devices can rupture in the event of a crash, hurling shards of sharp metal toward vehicle occupants at a high rate of speed. Several injuries and deaths have allegedly been caused by the problem, which the manufacturer may have known about as early as 2004, but has only recently acknowledged. According to a Car and Driver report, the company finally issued a statement on May 19 that 34 million vehicles contained defective airbag components, which would all need to be replaced.
Which Vehicles Have Been Recalled?
According to the report, the recalls included various models manufactured by Acura, BMW Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Subaru, and Toyota between the years 2000 and 2011. The article mentioned above contains a full list of the years, makes, and models of the cars that have been recalled.
The total number of recalled vehicles makes this the largest vehicle recall ever in United States history. The potentially lethal nature of the defect, as well as the manufacturer’s alleged knowledge and concealment of the problem for over 10 years, will cause this recall to go down in history. Owners of affected vehicles should contact a dealer immediately and have the defective parts replaced.
Relief for Those Already Affected by the Defective Airbags
Hopefully, now that the recall has been officially issued for all of the affected cars, current owners will get their airbag inflators replaced, and no more victims will be hurt by ruptured inflators. Unfortunately, for some people, the recall didn’t come soon enough, and many people have already been injured or killed from the defect. Victims may be able to get relief by filing an Illinois personal injury or products liability lawsuit.
The manufacturer of a defective product can be held responsible for injuries that are caused by the defect. When a product is marketed as an essential life-saving device, yet a defect in the product can result in serious injury or death, the manufacturer’s financial liability can be substantial. In situations where a manufacturer knew of a potentially fatal defect and worked to conceal the problem without replacing the dangerous units, additional damages may be awarded to plaintiffs as punishment for the defendant’s conduct.
Victims Injured by Dangerous or Defective Products Should Consult an Attorney
If you think that you or a loved one has been injured or killed by a defective airbag inflator in one of the recalled vehicles, or by another defective product or auto accident, the Illinois injury lawyers at the Cavanagh Sorich Law Group can help you hold the responsible parties accountable for your injuries or loss. Our dedicated and experienced attorneys know what it takes to get our clients the compensation they deserve. At the Cavanagh Sorich Law Group, we represent clients in most personal injury and wrongful death cases, including product liability and auto accident cases. Contact us for a free consultation.