The Largest Car Recall in United States History

Takata Corporation is a Japanese air bag manufacturer who supplies air bags to Honda, Toyota and Nissan. They have recently called for a massive recall of over 34 million cars because of problems with their air bags. This makes the recall the largest recall in United States’ history. Cars from Utah and all over the country could be associated with this deadly manufacturer defect that could be the cause of wrongful death lawsuits.

Car safety regulators have linked Takata air bags to six deaths worldwide. Their air bags exploded with too much force and shot shrapnel into the car and the people inside it. Takata was very hesitant to issue the recall, but the United States Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) pressured them strongly. They refused to issue the recall until the defect was “officially recognized.”

Now many automakers have issued massive recalls for cars from Utah to the East Coast because Takata’s air bag inflators were not sealed properly. They also allowed moisture to seep into the casing. The moisture can damage the propellant in the casing and cause it to explode more violently than it should. All six deaths so far have resulted from Honda vehicles. None of these deaths took place in Utah, though. 

The NHTSA will be monitoring the company closely in the next few months to make sure that the recalls and the repairs are done correctly. This is to ensure the nation’s safety and its investment in international cars. This kind of power has not had to be exercised in the industry since the year 2000.

Interestingly enough, wrongful death lawsuits regarding these air bags will be a little more complicated because Takata is located outside of the United States. International lawsuits are an area in the judicial process that have not been fully defined. 

Cases in the past have revolved around “how much the foreign country interacts with the state or nation.” This is a very vague definition and does not even provide legal parameters for lawyers to judge whether a case is plausible or not. Suing for wrongful death in this case could be troublesome. 

The lack of defined legal process makes NHTSA’s job even more important. They should take the necessary action to protect citizens in Utah and across the nation. 

While consulting a wrongful death lawyer is not a very plausible way to constantly hear about recalls, there are other resources that can help you find out whether your car has been recalled or not. 

Nate Myers is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.