Takata Executives Knew of the Defective Airbags

Executives at Takata Corporation knew almost 20 years ago that their airbags were injuring people and chose to do nothing for over a decade

Thursday, March 29, 2018 - According to media sources such as the New York Times, CNN and others, three executives at the Takata Corporation have been charged with falsifying test data in order to hide the defects in its deadly airbags. The three have agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and falsifying data. In December of 2016, a grand jury indicted Shinichi Tanaka, director of engineering, chief North American liaison Hideo Nakajima and chief of airbag inflator operations Tsuneo Chikaraishi. The indictment alleges that the three knew as early as the year 2000 that an inferior propellant used in the propellant canisters could ignite prematurely and the executives destroyed or falsified the data that proved this. Takata company whistleblowers have said that "cost considerations drove the decision" to replace the original safe accelerant. In the year 2000, Takata decided to replace Tetrazol, in airbag propellant containers with "ammonium nitrate" a less expensive yet highly volatile, unstable, and explosive compound.

When a Takata airbag malfunctions shards of metal are sent throughout the automobile cabin at the speed of one-twentieth of a second. Over 200 people have been severely injured, some with brain trauma as well as blindness and to date, 21 people are known to have been killed by the defective airbag. The first recorded death was in 2009 when Ashley Parham died after the airbag in her Honda Accord deployed due to a defective propellant cartridge, slashing her neck wide open and severing her carotid artery.

Over 40 million automobiles are affected by the Takata airbag recall, the largest recall in US history, however, millions of defective Takata airbags remain in vehicles on the highway today. US drivers are urged to check their vehicle's pin number on the web to see if theirs is one of the vehicles with Takata airbags installed and subject to the recall. Drivers should call their automobile dealer for specific recall information and to have the defective airbag replaced immediately which should be at no cost to the consumer. Early model Hondas, manufactured in between 2000 and 20015 are most likely to be at risk.

People that have been injured and the loved ones of those killed by the deadly airbag are suing Japan-based Takata for reimbursement of medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering and punitive damages. The negligence of the company executives in covering up what they knew as early as 2002 prompted a $1 billion fine against the company. The fine, coupled with legal settlements, as well as the global recall of the device has brought Takata to the brink of bankruptcy, however, the company has set aside billions to cover legal costs.

If you have been injured or have had a loved one killed by a defective Takata airbag you may sue the company for reimbursement of medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering and other related costs. Even if you have not been injured you can join a class action lawsuit for reimbursement of the costs and related inconvenience of having to submit your automobile for recall. National Takata Airbag Lawyers handling Takata airbag lawsuits are seasoned products liability litigators, pursuing justice on behalf of American families affected by the Takata airbag recall.

More Recent Takata Airbag Lawsuit News:

• Automakers Are Starting to Pay Cash Incentives To Those Who Refer Takata Airbag Repair Business | 3/11/2019
• Used Car Dealerships Are Responsible For The Millions of Vehicles That Have Not Complied With The Takata Airbag Recall | 3/8/2019
• Takata Executives Sold Shares Anticipating Bankruptcy Filing | 3/4/2019
• The NHTSA Recommends Airbag On/Off Switches in Some Vehicles | 2/28/2019
• More Reasons The Takata Airbag Recall is Not Succeeding | 2/24/2019
• Many Obstacles Stand In The Way of Effectively Replacing The Takata Airbag | 2/18/2019
• Millions of More Vehicles Were Added to the Takata Airbag Recall in February 2019 | 2/12/2019
• Takata Airbag Recall's Mixed Results | 2/5/2019
• 2018 and 2019 Hondas Are The Most At Risk For Airbag Theft | 1/31/2019
• January 2019 Kicks Off Another Expansion of the Takata Airbag Recall | 1/24/2019
• Automaker May Fail to Take Takata Airbag Recall Seriously | 1/21/2019
• General Motors Was Told That Takata Airbags Were Dangerous as Early as 1999 | 1/17/2019
• The Takata Airbag Recall Is Being Largely Ignored by Motor Vehicle Owners Ten Year In | 1/11/2019
• Ford Expands The Number of Vehicles Subject to the Takata Airbag Recall | 1/8/2019
• Toyota Offers Gift Card For Referring Takata Airbag Replacement Candidates | 1/2/2019
• General Motors Claims Their Takata Airbags Will Not Hurt You | 12/6/2018
• Add Mercedes-Benz to the Takata Airbag Recall That Continues To Be Ignored by Millions of Drivers | 12/3/2018
• Takata Airbag Disposal Presents Enoumous Challenge | 11/28/2018
• General Motors is Questioning The Takata Airbag Recall | 10/31/2018
• Takata Airbag Recall is Ever-Expanding | 10/26/2018
• Airbag Demand Spawns a New Criminal Enterprise | 10/16/2018
• Motor Vehicle Airbag Theft Increased 400 Percent in 2017 | 10/10/2018
• Countries With Hot Humid Climates Are in Great Risk For Takata Airbag Malfunctions | 10/3/2018
• Many Are At Fault For Takata Airbag Recall Failures | 9/28/2018
• An Urgent Motor Vehicle Recall Announcement To Owners of 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series Pickups | 9/27/2018
• Auto Industry Whistle Blowers Can Save Lives | 9/26/2018
• Drivers May Be Ticketed For Failing To Comply With Motor Vehicle Recalls | 9/25/2018
• Congress Considering Automobile Safety Recall Bill | 9/22/2018
• The Twenty-Fifth Takata Airbag Death Has Been Reported | 9/19/2018
• Executives At Takata And The Major Automakers Knew Ammonium Nitrate Was Dangerous | 9/17/2018
• Recalling and Replacing All Takata Airbags MayTake Decades | 9/11/2018
• The NHTSA Is Under Fire For Mishandling The Takata Airbag Recall | 8/31/2018
• Highlights of The Takata Airbag Recall | 8/27/2018
• An Urgent Takata Airbag Recall Announcement To Owners of the 2006 Ford Ranger Pickup | 8/22/2018
• Takata's Airbag Recall is Expanding Worldwide | 8/16/2018
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• Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Are Urged to Use Facebook to Contact Takata Airbag-Related Vehicle Owners | 8/7/2018
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• Takata Executives Could Have Prevented 24 Deaths Yet Did Nothing | 7/31/2018
• The Department of Justice Holds the NHTSA Responsible for the Slow Pace of Takata Airbag Recalls | 7/27/2018
• Class Action Lawsuits Force Automakers to Take Greater Recall Measures | 7/25/2018
• Certain Cars and Trucks At Extreme Risk in Takata Airbag Recall | 7/23/2018
• South Floridians Need to Have Their Vehicle's Airbags Replaced | 7/20/2018
• Lawsuits Accuse Major Automobile Manufacturers of Takata Airbag Fraud | 7/18/2018
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• Mazda Issues Emergency Takata Airbags Vehicle Recall | 7/11/2018
• A Whistleblower Courage Can Save Lives | 7/6/2018
• Takata Airbag Recall Obstacles | 6/30/2018
• Post A Takata Airbag Warning to Your Facebook Page | 6/27/2018
• Automakers Knew of Defective Takata Airbags Back in 2003 | 6/25/2018
• Floridians Have The Highest Risk From Exploding Takata Airbags | 6/20/2018
• Why You Should Check The Takata Airbag Recall Status Of Your Vehicle | 6/14/2018
• Concern Growing For Takata Airbag Recall Compliance | 6/12/2018
• Takata Airbag Vehicle Recall Going Too Slowly For Some | 6/6/2018
• Takata Employee Whistle Blower Triggers Vehicle Recall | 5/30/2018
• The Takata Airbag Recall May Be Failing | 5/28/2018
• Check to See if Your Vehicle is Being Recalled | 5/22/2018
• The Takata Airbag Recall is Taking Longer Than Expected | 5/17/2018
• An Outline Of The Takata Airbag Scandal | 5/14/2018
• The Ongoing Takata Airbag Recall | 5/9/2018
• Takata Airbags Auto Recall Update May 2018 | 5/6/2018
• Defective Takata Airbags Prompt a Recall and Lawsuits | 5/2/2018
• What Does The Takata Bankruptcy Mean For Consumers | 4/24/2018
• Takata Defective Airbag Vehicle Recall Update | 4/10/2018
• Takata Airbag Victims Could Be Thousands More Than Reported | 4/5/2018
• Takata Airbag Recall Update | 4/2/2018
• Takata Corporation Airbag Lawsuits | 3/26/2018
• Takata Airbag Injuries | 3/21/2018
• The Defective Takata Airbag | 3/13/2018
• A Summary of the Takata Airbag Recall | 3/5/2018
• Takata Class Action Lawsuits Continue to Grow | 6/26/2017
• Exploding Takata Airbag Canisters Causes Injuries and Death | 6/19/2017
• Takata Airbag Malfunction and Who Can Sue | 6/12/2017
• Takata Executives Indicted for Falsifying or Discarding the Damaging Information | 6/5/2017

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Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.