Senator Tells Takata to Start Personal Injury/ Wrongful Death Fund

A while back we covered the Takata airbag recall as it unfolded. Unfortunately, the story has continued to unravel and the details being discovered are even more troubling than previously thought. The Senate held a hearing on Takata's faulty products, and more than 1300 documents have been collected which indicate that Takata knew about the personal injury risk and made an intentional decision not to follow up with safety concerns. Airbags Spray Shrapnel Takata started recalling airbags back in 2013, and there are now more than 33-million vehicles affected, per an NBC report. The problem involves a faulty inflator that can explode and send shrapnel throughout a vehicle. It appears as if vehicles driven in moist or humid climates are more-likely to have malfunctioning airbags than those in dryer climates and numerous vehicles makes and models contain the faulty part. To date, eight deaths have been officially linked to the defective airbags. At least another 100 people have been hurt, though these numbers are expected to climb. Takata Intentionally Skipped Safety Protocols Evidence gathered for a Congressional report indicates that Takata has a history of sweeping issues under the rug. In 2011, internal Takata emails show that the company was aware of a welding issue and opted to stop doing safety audits the same year to avoid the associated expenses. NBC also notes that Takata hid defective airbags as far back as 2004. Senator Richard Blumenthal Calls for Takata to Create Fund Cases of personal injury in Charleston and around the country are emerging, as many of these faulty airbags are still on the road. A number of accidents and deaths are still under investigation as well. Senator Richard Blumenthal likens this event to GM's faulty ignition switches, and believes that Takata should set up a fund to compensate victims and their families. A representative from the company did not outright refuse, though he said he would have to discuss it with his superiors before committing. Fiat Chrysler Turns to TRW for Remedy At the same time, Fiat Chrysler is looking to TRW to help replace some 4-million Takata inflators in their vehicles, rather than sourcing parts from the original manufacturer. Although it's understandable they'd turn to one of Takata's competitors, TRW also has a history of faulty products. Vehicles with TRW crash sensors have been recalled because the sensors are defective and deploy even when there hasn't been a collision. Check Your Vehicle Today It's troubling that things like this still happen in this day and age, but some companies seem to only care about profit, and not the safety of their products or consumers. Regardless of your vehicle's make and model, please visit the NHTSA website and see if it's part of a recall. If it is, have it repaired immediately. It can be the difference between life and death.

Charleston Personal Injury Attorney

If you've been hurt by a defective vehicle, whether it's part of the Takata recall, the GM recall, or even an undocumented issue, you may be entitled to reparations. These companies should be held accountable for their actions and your family shouldn't have to suffer due to their negligence. For a free consultation, please contact us using our online form or speak directly to one of our attorneys by calling 1(800)610-2546.