Takata, Honda: Two Lawsuits Over Airbag Recall

In response to the latest airbag recall, Takata and Honda are facing two more lawsuits. These lawsuits are being filed for injuries that may have been caused by the defective airbags. The lawsuits resulted from two accidents in Florida. However, a Honda spokesman declined to give comments on these lawsuits because they are pending. However, a Takata spokesperson referred questions to the automaker.

Related: Toyota Recalls 247,000 Vehicles Due to Faulty Airbags

The lawsuits
One of the lawsuits was filed in July 2014 in a Florida state court. According to the lawsuit and an accident report, Corey Burdick, 26, suffered an eye injury that was possibly caused by the airbag deployment. It was stated in the lawsuit that “shards of metal were propelled through the airbag’s fabric and struck Burdick in the eye, resulting in disfigurement, impaired vision and other severe permanent injuries.” Burdick was driving his 2001 Honda Civic in Eustis when he got involved in an accident with another vehicle. This accident left Burdick blind in one eye and stitches from his eyebrow to his nostril.

The other lawsuit was filed in May 2014 in Texas by Stephanie Erdman, a then 28-year-old Texan stationed at a military base in Florida. Erdman was driving her 2002 Civic in Santa Rosa County when she was seriously injured by the airbag in her car after an accident with another vehicle. She said that there was a piece of metal that cut her from her right nasal bridge all the way up to her right eyebrow, also cutting her eyelid. Burdick’s lawsuit is seeking damages for more than $15,000, while Erdman’s lawsuit is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

Related: Car Safety For Pets

Airbag recall
This airbag recall affected more than 7.8 million U.S. vehicles. The recall, however, was only limited to areas with high humidity including: Alabama, American Samoa, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Saipan, Virgin Islands and limited areas near the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. This is why two U.S. senators are asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a nationwide recall. These airbags can shoot out metal fragments at vehicle’s occupants when they deploy in a crash. At least four deaths and more than 100 injuries nationwide were already reported.

If you’re unsure if your vehicle is affected by the recall, you can look at the list provided by the NHTSA in their website. If you’ve sustained injuries from a defective or recalled product, please contact a Kentucky Personal Injury Attorney. They can help you get the compensation you deserve.