Takata Death Toll Rising
Investigators with Florida Highway Patrol confirmed Wednesday, January 17, 2018, that the death of Nicole Barker, a 34-year-old mother of three, was caused by a defective Takata airbag Fthat ruptured in her 2002 Honda Accord after she was involved in an accident on July 19, 2017.
According to the investigator’s report, Barker was traveling down a two-lane road in Holiday, Florida, going 30 mph, when a 1999 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am driven by a 19-year-old man made a left turn in front of her and Barker’s 2002 Honda Accord slammed into Trans Am’s passenger’s side. Barker was struck by metal shrapnel that burst through the Takata airbag, causing a 6-inch by 3-inch gaping wound to her left temple, a fractured skull, and bruising and bleeding on her brain. Barker’s minor children survived the accident and walked away with minor injuries.
How Do the Takata Air Bags Burst?
Takata inflators can explode with too much force and blow apart a metal canister, spewing shrapnel into drivers. The Takata airbags use ammonium nitrate in its inflators to fill the airbags quickly, but when this chemical is exposed to heat and humidity, it deteriorates causing the metal canister inside the bag to blow up and send shrapnel flying during a collision. The Takata recall is one of the largest automotive recalls in U.S. history, involving 42 million vehicles and 69 million inflators. More than 100 million have been recalled worldwide.
The Recall
The recall includes over 19 vehicle manufacturers and approximately 46 million Takata airbag inflators that have been employed in an estimated 34 million vehicles in the United States. You can search The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website for your vehicle model and determine whether your airbag needs replacing by clicking here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recall-spotlight/takata-air-bags
Call an Experienced Air Bag Defect Lawyer
One of our former clients, Stephanie Erdman, nearly lost her right eye when the airbag inflator in her 2002 Honda Civic exploded and shrapnel flew into her face after another vehicle collided into hers. She underwent several surgeries to remove the shrapnel and to reconstruct her eyelids. Stephanie recovered, but she does not forget her injuries. The attorneys at the Ammons Law Firm helped Stephanie achieve a just recovery. Now, Stephanie urges manufacturers and consumers to replace their Takata airbags immediately to prevent further injury and death.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective Takata airbag, you may have a potential claim for damages against the manufacturer. The airbag defect lawyers with the Ammons Law Firm have the legal resources and experience to assist you. Call (281) 801-5617.
