Defective Takata airbags have been linked to 24 deaths worldwide (17 in the United States) and at least 240 people have reportedly been injured because of a defective Takata airbag as of February 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and media reports.
The Takata airbag recall is the largest automotive recall ever in the United States. Currently, 50 million airbags are under recall, affecting about 37 million vehicles, according to the NHTSA.
As of February 2018, defective Takata airbags have been connected to 24 deaths and hundreds of injuries worldwide.
List of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Defective Takata Airbags
| Location | Date | Victim | Vehicle | Source |
| Phoenix, Arizona | 11/1/2003 | Charlene Weaver | 2004 Subaru Impreza | Reuters |
| Midwest City, Oklahoma | 5/27/2009 | Ashley Parham | 2001 Honda Accord | NewsOK |
| Richmond, Virginia | 12/24/2009 | Gurjit Rathore | 2001 Honda Accord | New York Times |
| Alhambra, California | 9/13/2013 | Hai Ming Xu | 2002 Acura TL | CNN Money |
| Freemont, California | 3/14/2014 | Susan Cosgrove | 2013 Chevy Cruz | Car Complaints |
| Malaysia | 7/27/2014 | Law Suk Leh | 2003 Honda City | Reuters |
| Los Angeles County, California | 9/7/2014 | Jewel Brangman | 2001 Honda Civic | LA Times |
| Orlando, Florida | 9/29/2014 | Hien Thi Tran | 2001 Honda Accord | Detroit Free Press |
| Spring, Texas | 1/18/2015 | Carlos Solis | 2002 Honda Accord | Houston Press |
| Lafayette, Louisiana | 4/15/2015 | Kylan Langlinais | 2005 Honda Accord | New York Times |
| Mercer County, Pennsylvania | 7/22/2015 | Unidentified | 2001 Honda Accord | Chicago Tribune |
| Kershaw, South Carolina | 12/22/2015 | Joel Knight | 2006 Ford Ranger | Charlotte Observer |
| Fort Bend County, Texas | 3/31/2016 | Huma Hanif | 2002 Honda Civic | ABC13, KTRK-TV |
| Malaysia | 4/16/2016 | Unknown | 2006 Honda City | Washington Post |
| Malaysia | 5/1/2016 | Unknown | 2003 Honda City | Washington Post |
| Malaysia | 6/2016 | Unknown | Unknown | Washington Post |
| Hialeah, Florida | 6/18/2016 | Ramon Kuffo | 2001 Honda Accord | LA Times |
| Malaysia | 9/24/2016 | Unknown | 2009 Honda City | Washington Post |
| Corona, California | 9/30/2016 | Delia Robles | 2001 Honda Civic | Fortune |
| Martinsburg, West Virginia | 7/1/2017 | Steve Mollohan | 2006 Ford Ranger | LA Times |
| Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 7/10/2017 | George R. Sharp | 2004 Honda Civic (with ‘02 Civic airbag) | LA Times |
| Australia | 7/13/2017 | Unknown | 2007 Honda CR-V | Washington Post |
| Holiday, Florida | 7/19/2017 | Nichol Barker | 2002 Honda Accord | Associated Press |
| Malaysia | 1/1/2018 | Unknown | 2004 Honda City | Washington Post |
Minor Accidents Lead to Severe or Fatal Injuries Because of Airbag Defect
The nature of the Takata defect means that accidents do not have to be severe for drivers or passengers to suffer severe or fatal injuries.
Takata used ammonium nitrate as a propellant in its airbag inflators but failed to include a drying agent. This is problematic because ammonium nitrate may degrade when exposed to moisture. Ignition of the airbag inflator, and degraded ammonium nitrate propellant, can cause an explosion that shatters the inflator and sends shrapnel into the passenger compartment. Learn more about what caused Takata airbags to be defective.
So, any collision that deploys the airbag can be dangerous if the ammonium nitrate propellant is degraded. In fact, many of the fatal accidents attributed to the Takata defect occurred in low-speed wrecks.
Ashley Parham
On May 27, 2009, Midwest City, Oklahoma, Ashley Parham died after a minor accident in a high school parking lot, reports NewsOK. The airbags deployed in her 2001 Honda Accord, but the airbag mechanism shattered, sending shrapnel into the passenger compartment. A piece of metal pierced her carotid artery. Honda and Takata denied fault but agreed to an undisclosed settlement with the family.
Hai Ming Xu
Hai Ming Xu died in Alhambra, California, on September 13, 2013, reports CNN Money. Xu struck the wall of a nearby building, triggering the airbag to deploy in his 2002 Acura. The airbag mechanism sprayed metal fragments into the vehicle’s passenger compartment, striking Xu. His wounds were so severe that responders believed he suffered gunshot wounds on his face, but the coroner’s report found he suffered from “facial trauma due to foreign object inside airbag.”
Nichol Lynn Barker
A 34-year-old mother from Holiday, Florida, died on July 19, 2017, after a crash in her 2002 Honda Accord. According to the Associated Press, Nichol Lynn Barker died when her airbags deployed during a collision caused by another driver’s failure to yield the right-of-way. The investigation uncovered she was only going about 30 miles per hour at the time of impact. The other three people in the car — including her two children and her mother — only suffered minor injuries.
Barker, however, suffered severe facial injuries as well as a traumatic brain injury because of metal shrapnel from the airbag. According to the AP report, this included a large gaping wound near her left temple, a skull fracture, and a brain bleed. Doctors pronounced her dead at a nearby hospital.
Ramon Kuffo
In June 2016, Ramon Kuffo was using a hammer while working on the interior of a 2001 Honda Accord, according to the Associated Press via the LA Times. The airbag deployed and the airbag mechanism shattered. Honda reportedly says that fragments from the shattered inflator likely caused the man’s death.
Did You Suffer Injuries or Lose a Loved One Because of a Defective Airbag?
If you believe a defective airbag caused or contributed to your injuries, you may qualify to take legal action to recover damages related to the wreck. Call us for a free case review: 888-221-5316.