Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, ALL NEWS—INDUSTRY NEWS—MOTOR VEHICLES—Accident fatality in Texas attributed to Takada airbag rupture, (Apr 8, 2016)

By Kathleen Bianco, J.D.

An inspection conducted by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Sheriff’s Department of Fort Bend County, Texas, and Takata on April 6, 2016, following an automobile accident has confirmed another fatality related to the rupture of a Takata airbag. The vehicle, a 2002 Honda Civic, was involved in a crash on March 31, 2016, in Fort Bend County, Texas, the rupture of the driver’s airbag inflator resulted in the death of the driver. (Statement from American Honda Motor Co., Inc., April 7, 2016).

Honda has indicated that it has made available to NHTSA all vehicle history information collected to date on the accident vehicle. Furthermore, Honda contends that multiple mailed recall notices related to the airbag inflator had been sent to the current registered owner over the last several years, but records show that the recall repair was never completed.

In January 2016, Gordon Trowbridge, Director of Communications for NHTSA, announced an expansion of recalls relating to defective drivers’ side air bag inflators, estimating that the number of vehicles affected could be as high as five million. At that time, nine fatalities had been linked to the Takada airbags in the United States. This most recent incident increases to ten the number of fatalities attributed to Takata airbag ruptures.

Honda continues to urge owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator recalls to get their vehicles repaired at an authorized dealer as soon as possible. Vehicle owners can check their vehicles recall status at www.recalls.honda.com for Honda owners or www.recalls.acura.com for Acura owners or by calling their authorized dealer.

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