Takata air bags have apparently claimed another man’s life.
This, according to recent news articles in Reuters and other media outlets. Houston resident Carlos Solis was driving his 2002 Honda near Spring High School when he got into an accident with another vehicle. There was minimal damage to the two vehicles, but Solis, who was only 35 years old, was found unconscious on the scene. Authorities sent an air ambulance to the scene, but by the time it got there, Solis was dead.
This marks the third death confirmed by Honda as caused by faulty Takata air bags, though the air bags themselves have been linked to at least six deaths and over 50 injuries.
Father of Two Killed in Takata Air Bag Accident
Solis, the father of two teenagers, was driving through a Houston suburb on January 18, 2015, when the accident occurred. He collided with an Infiniti G35 sedan. The other driver was a 16-year-old young woman who had just gotten off work. The vehicles hit left fender to left fender. The other driver suffered no injuries, and Solis’ only injury was from the air bag—an injury that killed him. He had an 11-year-old cousin with him, who also suffered no injuries.
Solis’ vehicle was one that had been included in a 2011 recall for defective driver’s side air bags, but the repair had apparently not been completed on the vehicle. According to his family, he had just purchased the vehicle in April 2014, and was unaware of the recall or of any potential air bag problem.
Honda announced early on that Solis’ death could be the result of a Takata air bag that deployed improperly. Takata has been under investigation because of air bags that can explode upon deployment, sending metal and plastic shrapnel into the vehicle. These small pieces cause knife-like injuries to drivers, and have resulted in vision and hearing loss, deep wounds, and excessive bleeding and death.
A Houston police report confirmed that Solis was found unconscious on the scene, and that firefighters surmised immediately that the air bag had caused his injuries.
Houston news reported on January 31, 2015, that the Solis family plans to file a Takata air bag lawsuit against Honda, Takata, and the car dealership where Solis bought the vehicle.
More Defective Air Bags Still Out There
This accident reveals a serious problem in the current recalls for defective air bags: a lot of people are still not aware of the problem.
Even though Takata, Honda, Chrysler, Nissan, Ford, Mazda, and other automakers have recalled millions of cars worldwide, there are still vehicles out there that are being driven around with dangerous airbags under the wheel.
Honda has stated that it continues to urge drivers to check recall lists and get their vehicles repaired. (Check www.recalls.honda.com.)
“Any vehicle that is unrepaired is a risk,” David Friedman, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) deputy administrator, told the LA Times.
Takata and automakers face air bag lawsuits across the nation, as well as investigations by the NHTSA and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Exclusively focused on representing plaintiffs, especially in mass tort litigation, Eric Chaffin prides himself on providing unsurpassed professional legal services in pursuit of the specific goals of his clients and their families. Both his work and his cases have been featured in the national press, including on ABC’s Good Morning America.
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