If you are one of the thousands of Floridians who drive a Honda, Toyota, Mazda, BMW or any of the other 7.8 million vehicles equipped with Takata airbags, you might have reason to worry. In a press release issued on October 23, 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urged owners to act quickly in response to the recall notices on their vehicles (www.nhtsa.gov). While recall notices began going out in early 2013, some recall notices were sent earlier this month. A number of these vehicles were sold in Florida, leading to potential Florida defective airbag lawsuits.
If An Airbag Malfunctions, It Can
Be Deadly
At least 4 people have reportedly been killed and over 100 people have been injured by their airbags when the inflator mechanism allegedly burst and spewed metal fragments at the passengers. It’s been reported that humid weather makes the airbags more likely to rupture (www.washingtonpost.com). While most of the automobiles with Takata airbags are Japanese or European, GM, Ford and Chrysler models are reportedly also affected. The majority of the model years reportedly affected are from 2001-2007.
As the recall notices continue to be sent, Washington has gotten involved. Experts believe it could take years for all the allegedly affected vehicles to be repaired. In the interim, there may be Florida defective airbag lawsuits since the state is listed as a primary place where the recalled vehicles have been sold.
Repair Parts Supply Reportedly Low
The Washington Post reports Honda does not have the parts to repair more than 5 million vehicles affected by the recall. The paper also reports Toyota is also short of parts and is instructing dealerships to disable the airbags and place “do not sit here” warning notes on the vehicles’ passenger-side glove boxes.
There is no universal recall for the alleged airbag issue. Some manufacturers, such as BMW and Subaru, did a nationwide recall. Honda and Toyota, on the other hand, is limiting its recall to southern states where humid conditions are more likely to cause an airbag rupture (www.washingtonpost.com). While legislators on Capitol Hill questioned the wisdom of regional recalls, regulators stressed that a national recall may reduce already dangerously low supplies of the parts needed to fix the deployment issue (www.washingtonpost.com).
Manufacturers rely on purchase records for recall notifications. If a vehicle was purchased and registered in Illinois, but driven by a child attending school in Florida, the potential for injury is greater since a regional recall doesn’t cover areas north of Georgia. There are potentially thousands of individuals who could be seriously injured or killed because of regional recalls.
Call Attorney Group for Florida Today.
No one expects their car’s airbag to suddenly deploy and harm them, but it can happen. If you believe you or a loved one has been injured or killed by a defective air bag system, please contact Attorney Group for Florida. You are under no obligation and your consultation is free.
