Honda and Takata Sued After Defective Air Bag Kills Texas Father

A 35-year-old Texas man suffered fatal injuries when the airbag in his Honda Accord malfunctioned as it deployed in a minor 2-car accident. The air bag's defective inflator propelled a large piece of metal through the cushion and into the young man's neck, slicing through his jugular vein and carotid artery. He bled to death.

On behalf of two minor children who survive the man, a wrongful death lawsuit was brought against Honda and Takata. In the suit, product defect attorney Rob Ammons claims the Accord's driver-side airbag (which was ultimately recalled) was defective and unreasonably dangerous because, in the event of its deployment, its inflator produces excessive internal pressure that causes it to rupture, possibly shooting metal fragments through the airbag material and injuring the driver. Ammons alleges that Honda and Takata failed to properly test the airbag and that, although these parties had known for years that motorists were being injured by the malfunctioning airbag, they chose to conceal the problem from the government and the consumer. Ammons also asserts that eventual recall efforts were so delayed and limited that many thousands of unsuspecting motorists were left un-notified and at grave risk.

Also named as a defendant in the lawsuit is the car dealer that performed services in preparing the Accord for sale but failed to determine that the airbag had been recalled and to then replace it. The dealer sold the Accord with the recalled airbag without warning the purchaser of that fact. The lawsuit also named the driver of the other vehicle, placing fault on her for causing the collision.

Rob Ammons is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, in addition to being Board Certified in Civil Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Rob Ammons' law practice, The Ammons Law Firm, is located in Houston, Texas.

The Ammons Law Firm's practice is exclusively personal injury law, handling such cases as tire defects, oil rig explosions, truck accidents, plant explosions, refinery accidents, wrongful death, post-collision fires, seat belt defects, airbag defects, SUV rollovers, and workplace negligence.