New Mexico Lawsuit Against Airbag Manufacturer To Proceed

A pending lawsuit that New Mexico brought against Takata, a manufacturer of defective airbags that led to several deaths, is soon to be pending no longer. Late last month, a bankruptcy court lifted the stay it had placed on the lawsuit, enabling New Mexico’s legal action to proceed.

The office of the attorney general originally filed suit a year ago. According to the complaint, Takata and its affiliated automakers – including Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ferrari – equipped vehicles with airbags they knew to be deficient and dangerous. Specifically, the airbags “have been found to explode with such force that pieces of metal fly at occupants.”

Deaths resulting from auto defects are common

At the time the lawsuit was filed, Takata’s airbags had been linked to 11 deaths. As of December 20^th, that number has risen to 20. Perhaps what’s most important is not the case itself but what it underscores: The staggering number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities that arise from faulty auto parts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that there are around 30,000 lives lost each year to auto accidents. And while many of these deaths result from human error – drunk driving, distracted driving, speeding, road rage, and so on – a substantial number of them are caused by mechanical failures. The statistics are shocking. Since 1966 (when such data started being tracked), the number of defective parts removed from vehicles includes:

46 million tires
42 million child safety seats
66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment (including airbags and seatbelts)

Unfortunately, many individuals lose their lives to faulty equipment before the dangers are detected or exposed.

For victims and their family members, it’s crucial to work with an attorney

It is unclear whether New Mexico’s lawsuit against Takata will be successful, or whether it will yield noteworthy results. The manufacturer has already replaced more than 12 million airbag inflators, is expected to recall more than 60 million vehicles in the United States alone, and has filed for bankruptcy.

Nevertheless, the surviving family members of victims deserve compensation, and one would hope that the legal process will afford them some measure of justice.