A committee that is currently investigating car recalls linked to defective Takata airbags says that the Japanese auto parts supplier recently decided to update recall information. The updated toll from the airbags defect is now 105 injuries and 6 fatalities.
The earlier toll was 64 injuries and five fatalities linked to the malfunctioning airbag. However, since then, Takata has apparently identified at least 40 more incidents of malfunctioning airbags resulting in serious injuries, including one that resulted in at least one death.
The defect causes the airbags to shoot off potentially dangerous fragments that can seriously injure occupants in the vehicle. Occupants are at risk of serious injuries, including eye injuries, facial injuries and other injuries as a result of being hit in the face by these pieces of shrapnel.
Overall, more than 20 million vehicles have been recalled because of the malfunctioning airbags. Meanwhile, Takata is also struggling with a scarcity of replacement inflators for the recalled vehicles. The company has admitted that more replacement inflators are required to replace the defective inflator that caused the problem.Takata is also under fire for its slow-moving recalls. US regulators are currently considering extra measures to ensure that owners of these vehicles are safe. The Japanese company was hit with a $14,000 per day fine for its lack of cooperation with federal regulators, and since then, has begun to cooperate more enthusiastically with the feds.
Airbags are some of the most important safety systems in a car, and any defects associated with airbags have the potential to cause serious injury. A malfunctioning airbag, for instance, has the potential to cause a serious head, neck or facial injury. Flying shards from a malfunctioning airbag can easily cause vision loss or blindness from an eye injury, while inadvertent deployment can cause a head or neck injury.
If you were injured as a result of a defective airbag system in your car, speak to an attorney to first determine whether your injuries were the result of the airbag defect. The Atlanta product liability attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers represent persons injured by the use of defective airbags in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.