Legal News & Consumer Rights

JPML Chooses Florida as Location for Takata Air Bag MDL

On February 5, 2015, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued a transfer order to move five Takata air bag class action lawsuits from three different federal districts into the Southern District of Florida for coordinated pre-trial proceedings. An additional 65-plus actions

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 23 Mar 2015

Automakers Conduct Their Own Investigation Into Takata Air Bag Problems

Automakers are taking the Takata air bag problem into their own hands. As Takata has yet to determine what causes some of their air bags to explode upon deployment, a group of ten automakers has decided to conduct their own investigation into the issue. The…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 19 Mar 2015

Former Takata Employee Apparently Willing to Testify On Air Bag Instability

Did air bag maker Takata sacrifice public safety to save money? Former Takata engineer Mark Lillie is willing to testify that they did. According to Auto News, the former employee warned the company that the cheaper ammonium nitrate solution they chose to use in their…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 11 Mar 2015

Takata Air Bags Allegedly Claim Another Man’s Life in Houston

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…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 2 Mar 2015

Florida Woman Sues Takata and Honda After Air Bag Allegedly Leaves her Paralyzed

Florida resident Patricia Mincey was driving her Honda Civic in Jacksonville when she reportedly ran a red light. She collided with an SUV, after which her Takata air bag deployed. Instead of protecting her, she claims, it exploded with such force that it caused catastrophic…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 26 Feb 2015

Demand for Safe Air Bags Increases Across the Globe

In November 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) called for a nationwide recall of all Takata driver’s side air bags in the United States. The administration took the move in response to a number of incidents in which these air bags, instead of…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 19 Feb 2015

South Carolina Woman Files New Takata Air Bag Lawsuit

A 21-year-old woman from South Carolina has filed a new air bag lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. She claims that she was severely injured when the air bag deployed and is seeking compensation to cover medical expenses and…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 5 Feb 2015

New Study Shows Power Morcellator Complications Apparently Extend Beyond Cancer

According to a recent study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, dangers associated with power morcellation in gynecological surgeries may extend beyond increasing the risk of aggressive cancers. In April 2014, the FDA warned that use of the power morcellation tool during surgery for uterine fibroi

By Roopal Luhana

/ 23 Jan 2015

New Surgical Tool for Uterine Fibroids Possibly a Safer Alternative

In April 2014, the FDA warned physicians and the general public to avoid the use of power morcellators in uterine fibroid surgery, because of a risk of spreading a rare type of cancer. Now, medical device manufacturer Boston Scientific has announced it will soon release…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 22 Jan 2015

Japan Transport Ministry Orders Takata to Investigate Airbag Defect

At least five people have died from injuries caused by defective Takata airbags, and over 100 more have suffered serious injuries, including permanent eye damage. The Japanese company faces a criminal probe, an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and over 20…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 20 Jan 2015

New York Woman Loses Battle with Alleged Morcellator-Induced Cancer

In April 2014, the FDA issued a safety communication warning healthcare providers and the public to be cautious when undergoing uterine fibroid of hysterectomy laparoscopic procedures. To minimize scarring, surgeons use a tool called a “morcellator” to cut up large tissues into smaller ones for…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 13 Jan 2015

Medical Examiner’s Report Concludes Victim Died of Air Bag Shrapnel

On November 17, 2014, the family of Hien Tran, a 51-year-old woman who was killed in a car accident on September 29, 2014, filed a new lawsuit against Takata—the maker of the airbag that allegedly caused Tran’s death—and Honda, the maker of the car she…

By Eric T. Chaffin

/ 7 Jan 2015