Reports about recalls of airbags that are malfunctioning and killing or injuring drivers is all over the news. As new information comes to light about the Takata-made air bags and the auto accidents resulting from them, lawsuits are being filed. Berkowitz and Hanna LLC knows that when a person is exposed to a defective product like one of these airbags, he or she may suffer serious injury or even a wrongful death. In such cases, the responsible parties must be held accountable for the damage their products caused.
In this situation, the recalled airbags allegedly explode with too much force and have sprayed vehicle occupants with metal shrapnel. More than 4 million vehicles produced by nine automakers have been recalled. The recalls began in high-humidity areas. At this time, four deaths and more injuries have been linked to the airbags, and several class action lawsuits have been filed.
Meanwhile, two more personal injury lawsuits based on product liability have been filed in Florida. The first, filed in Florida state court by Corey Burdick, 26, is seeking damages above $15,000. The accident report said an eye injury Burdick suffered was “possibly caused by the air bag deployment.” The lawsuit alleges that “shards of metal were propelled through the air bag’s fabric and struck Corey Burdick in the eye, resulting in disfigurement, impaired vision and other severe permanent injuries.”
In the second case, filed in Texas, Stephanie Erdman, a then 28-year Texan stationed at a military base in Florida, was involved in an accident. The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in damages. It describes how “shards of metal, like shrapnel, were propelled toward Stephanie Erdman … striking (her) in the face and right eye.” It includes a picture of her bloody face and the metal lodged in her eye.
Berkowitz and Hanna LLC predicts that this is just the beginning of the lawsuits that will be filed based on the defective Takata airbags. As these cases move forward, it will be interesting to see if they go to trial or if settlements are reached.
Berkowitz and Hanna LLC did not represent any of the parties in this case.
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