Airbags Not Just Full of Hot Air

Ford Motor Company recently announced it was working with United States safety regulators to investigate claims that faulty airbags in its vehicles may be injuring drivers. One claim, arising from a North Carolina car accident, specifically alleges that in August, the driver of a 2007 Ford Mustang was injured by a metal fragment that deployed with the vehicle’s airbag.

The 2007 Mustang, among others, was part of a wide recall issued in June involving millions of vehicles from nine manufacturers, due to potentially faulty air bag inflators made by a Japanese supplier, Takata Corporation.  The recall was instituted in light of claims that these inflators could rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin compartment of the car.

These recalls took place in geographical areas that are most susceptible to high temperatures and humidity (including Florida) because these conditions could cause the devices to rupture if exposed to moisture or extreme humidity, however North Carolina was not one of the areas included in the recall.

Through a statement, Ford claimed that the Takata airbag designs utilized in Ford vehicles “have not shown the same risk of fragmentation as other Takata airbag inflator designs used by other manufacturers.” While Ford’s recall initially covered 58,669 vehicles, it was later expanded to 85,023 vehicles, including 61,000 Mustangs made between 2005 and 2008.

Takata airbags have been linked to four deaths in the United States, all occurring in Honda vehicles, though the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration has received dozens more complaints linked to the airbags.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, please contact our expert attorneys for a free consultation.

The Schulman Law Group – (954)349-3300