Major Automakers May Have Played a Role in Choosing Takata Airbag Propellant Chemical

Major automakers may not only have been aware that Takata airbags were unsafe, they may have also forced Takata into using a cheaper propellant

Thursday, August 9, 2018 - Now that Takata has filed bankruptcy and been acquired by a Chinese company, individuals seeking to sue the company for damages are turning against the automakers themselves to file their claims. Automakers may not only have looked the other way when it came to self-policing the safety of the airbags they were buying, but also may have been in on a conspiracy to reduce airbag costs. According to a New York Times article, lawyers representing Takata airbag plaintiffs allege "At least four automakers knew for years that Takata's airbags were dangerous and could rupture violently but continued to use those airbags in their vehicles to save on costs." Not only that, lawyers claim that automakers conspired to pressure auto part suppliers like Takata to cut costs or risk losing their business. Attorneys for plaintiffs suing Ford, Honda, Nissan and Toyota paint the companies as the catalyst behind Takata's decision to replace the safe yet expensive propellant chemical Tetrazole, with the unstable but affordable ammonium nitrate.

Much has been made of the plea deal that forced Takata to pay a $1 billion fine to the US Department of Justice which includes admitting that they acted alone and did not conspire to replace Tetrazole. Lawyers have challenged the Tanaka plea deal citing the automaker's role in forcing Takata to cut costs by reducing the quality of the Takata airbag propellant chemical, calling the plea deal "a coverup." Lawyers urge the Department of Justice to reject the plea and to open an investigation of the automakers. Takata executives have fallen on the sword and accepted indictment on charges of wire fraud conspiring to manipulate airbag safety test data. In the media, Takata has been branded as a rogue supplier and automobile manufacturers unwitting victims of Takata's cost-cutting scheme. Ford Motor Company recently paid close to $300 million dollars to pay for Takata airbag replacements, and in their words, "put the Takata airbag nightmare behind them."

To date, 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured by shrapnel from the faulty Takata airbag. The airbag's new propellant chemical, ammonium nitrate, explodes due to changes in heat and humidity and with greater than expected force, fragmenting the metal propellant chemical canister into razor-sharp segments and sending them through the vehicle's passenger cabin with explosive ferocity. People who have died have mostly bled to death from having the carotid artery in the neck severed. Injuries include losing an eye, blindness, facial fractures and lacerations, broken teeth, concussions and head injuries. Victims of Takata airbag explosions, as well as the estates of those who have been killed, are consulting with Takata airbag lawyers to file a claim against not only Takata but also against their automobile's manufacturer for their complicity in selecting ammonium nitrate-based Takata airbags due to its less expensive cost.

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
• Takata Airbag Deaths May be Underestimated | 8/13/2018
• Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Are Urged to Use Facebook to Contact Takata Airbag-Related Vehicle Owners | 8/7/2018
• Using Facebook and Twitter to Get The Word Out About Exploding Takata Airbags and the Takata Recall | 8/3/2018
• 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
• Takata Airbag Replacement Has Reached International Proportions | 7/16/2018
• 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 Executives Knew of the Defective Airbags | 3/29/2018
• 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

No-Cost, No-Obligation Takata Airbag Lawsuit Case Review

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.