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Quite often when you buy a new car, you check to be sure that airbags are included. Airbags are known to save many lives each year, when an accident involves a front impact. It is not very often when you hear of airbags being the actual cause of death, but this is exactly what is reportedly happening with some airbags.
Devin Xu was leaving the parking lot of his place of employment, a local restaurant, on September 3, 2013. Mr. Xu had a medical problem that, on that day, caused him to lose control of his car. The car, a 2002 Acura, hit several other cars in the lot before ultimately hitting a wall. At this time, the air bag deployed.
Mr. Xu passed away from the head injuries he suffered from the airbag. He was hit by a metal portion of the airbag when it deployed. This was the cause of death. Mr. Xu’s family alleges in a lawsuit they filed that he would still be alive if it were not for the defective airbag.
Police initially believed that the accident was a homicide. This is because of the condition of the people who came out of the car. Their faces looked like they had gunshot wounds. This was because of the force of the airbag, and shrapnel being exploded out of the airbag and hitting the driver and his passengers in the face. The initial cause of death was misidentified in at least one other death caused by similar air bags.
Mr. Xu’s 2002 Acura is one of hundreds of car models named in an airbag recall by Takata, the manufacturer of Mr. Xu’s airbag. The international recall affects as many as 8 million cars. Takata’s recall has been limited to only those airbags made in the Gulf region. The company believes that the humidity of that region may be part of the issue causing the defect.
There is allegedly information available that proves Takata knew of this problem since 2005. Eight years later, however, people are still brutally dying because of the defect.
The Xu family is suing the manufacturer of the airbag, Japan’s Takata Corporation, and Honda. Their lawsuit was filed the same day Takata testified in front of a Senate committee, apologizing for their product. Mr. Xu’s family is seeking punitive damages.
If you or a loved one have been gravely injured or killed due to a defective product, you may be able to receive substantial compensation for your injuries. Please call our expert product liability specialists and wrongful death attorneys at 617-787-3700. Your needs are our top priority!
