Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer Warns Drivers Against Lethal Airbag
Over the course of two years, about 6.6 million cars in the US and overseas have been recalled after Takata Corporation, the supplier of airbags to auto giants such as Honda, Ford and Toyota, admitted mistakes in the manufacturing and storage of the explosive propellants in their product. Although the company has executed corrective measures, the damage these airbags have caused to the lives of some car owners can never be reversed—and so the lawsuits keep coming.
This negligence is recorded to have caused 139 injuries and the death of two in Hondas alone, after shrapnel fired and pierced through their body. One severely injured victim reported in Jacksonville.com was Patricia Mincey. According to the investigation, Mincey’s car collided with another after she drove through the red light. The airbag did not deploy immediately, but when it did, it was with a force so strong it squashed her and broke her spine. Now Mincey, 75, is a quadriplegic merely depending on a diaphragmatic pacemaker and the care of her daughter for life.
How can one highly-marketed safety feature cause damage to such extent? Many people may not be aware that airbags use a kind of explosive device for it to inflate. In the subject of defective airbags, this explosive device in the metal air inflator can burn more aggressively than normal, strong enough to over expand and for the metallic shrapnel to tear through the fabric. It is also reported to detonate at the slightest impact; a minor collision can result to a crippling injury and even death.
An experienced Long Island personal injury lawyer reminds car owners to always be wary of all possible defects in their vehicle. The faulty air bags just made an outbreak due to big names involved. Accidents caused by defective auto parts, however, are a fairly common occurrence. Locking steering components, failing brakes, and a dangerous concentration of flammable liquids in the fuel system are just as deadly as exploding airbags. It’s imperative to contact their car dealers right away at the slightest hint of defect(s) to avoid life-threatening accidents.
New Yorkers are advised to seek the assistance of dependable Long Island personal injury lawyers from firms like The Law Offices of Joseph M. Lichtenstein. These professionals can help victims get the best amount of compensation and medical support possible. It’s also important to note that even if there’s a recall, refund or repair, car owners can still file a civil lawsuit for the related injuries they might have sustained. It is the manufacturer’s duty to ensure that their products are safe. Exposing buyers to risk via negligence makes them liable for personal injury, regardless if actual injury was sustained or not.
(Source: Woman, 76, struggling to breathe because of faulty airbag, lawsuit says, Jacksonville.com, February 2, 2015)