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MIAMI (AP) — A South Florida jury has awarded $3 million to a
man who was severely injured by a defective airbag in a 2020
crash.
Miami-Dade jurors reached a verdict for Jose Hernandez on
Thursday, according to court records. He had filed a lawsuit in
2022 against Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund, which
was formed during Takata’s bankruptcy
Hernandez was driving his 2005 Honda Civic in Miami in December
2020 when another vehicle hit him as he tried to make a left
turn, his attorneys said. The collision should have caused only
minor injuries, but the car's Takata airbag inflator improperly
exploded, shooting a piece of metal shrapnel several inches long
into Hernandez’s right arm, the lawsuit said.
Attorneys for the Takata trust didn't immediately respond to an
email Monday seeking comment.
At least 28 deaths have been linked to Takata air bag inflators
in the U.S. and at least 36 worldwide, according to regulators.
More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt. Large-scale
recalls began in 2013.
Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to
inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate
over time due to high heat and humidity and explode with too
much force. That can blow apart a metal canister and send
shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
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