Honda Motors, the auto manufacturer whose vehicles have caused Takata airbag fatalities, announced a new and fifth fatality on Thursday Nov. 13.
Honda announced that a driver who died in July in Malaysia died after injuries caused by exploding shrapnel from a defective Takata airbag. This is the fifth fatality that has been linked to the Takata airbags and it is the first death that has occurred outside of the United States.
In response to this fifth fatality, Honda has taken steps to increase the scope of its previous recalls. In Thursdays announcement, Honda added an additional 170,000 vehicles to its recall list. Honda has recalled almost 10 million vehicles for Takata airbag defects.
Hondas first airbag recalls date back to 2008. Both Honda and Takata, the Japanese airbag manufacturer at the heart of a global recall crisis, are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for failing to disclose and report accidents and injuries related to rupturing Tataka airbags.
Takata airbags cause injuries when the inflation device in the airbags malfunctions and sends metal shards into the torsos of drivers and passengers. While the exact cause of the defect is still being determined, officials have suggested that the airbag propellant may be the culprit.
Additionally, the NHTSA has been able to determine that drivers in hot and humid states may have a greater risk for experiencing an airbag rupture. The new Honda recalls, including the Honda Fit and Honda Civic, do not affect vehicles sold in North America.
GWC Injury Lawyers Takata auto accident attorneys are helping guide Illinois families through the Takata injury lawsuit process.
Call 1-312-464-1234 to schedule a free consultation with our experienced lawyers. You can also use our Free Case Evaluation Form.
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