GM Airbag Recall Lawsuit Lawyer

October 17, 2016 - GM Asks for Delay on Takata Airbag Recall:

The Takata airbag recall may widen even further than the millions of vehicles involved currently. GM is asking regulators to give them a one-year delay in the recall of some 1 million vehicles.

GM states that these airbag models are free of the risks that have caused similar airbags to explode at high force, sending debris flying into the passenger compartment.

Back in August, reports indicated that as many as 100 injuries and 14 fatalities had been caused by the Takata airbags.

On September 16, GM went in front of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and said that internal testing proves that the inflators used for the airbags are safe from the possibility of rupture.

GM deployed the airbag inflator in 44,000 vehicles and underlines the fact that none have ruptured.

However, there is the concern of what happens as the inflator ages. GM has enlisted the help of an outside entity to complete those tests. These tests will take about a year to complete.

NHTSA ordered that all vehicles with airbags that used ammonium nitrate as a propellant be recalled.

For GM, this means the real possibility of 980,000 SUV’s and full-size pickups would have to be recalled by year’s end. The automaker wants to push the deadline until the end of 2017 to complete testing.

The NHTSA found that fluctuating high temperatures, time, and exposure to moisture can cause the ammonium nitrate to become unstable. When the perfect storm of conditions is met, the Takata inflators can explode. This results in sending debris into the passenger cabin, often causing injury and death.

If you have an affected GM SUV or full-size pickup truck with a Takata airbag and have been injured, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the “Strong Arm” attorneys at John Foy & Associates to discuss your case. We may be able to get you the compensation that you deserve. Contact us today.

September 21, 2016 - GM May have Known about Takata Problems Decades Ago:

It turns out that despite signs it was unsafe, automakers have been embracing Takata’s airbag technology for the past two decades.

In the late 1990s, an obscure Japanese supplier named Takata approached GM with an offer to supply them with cheaper airbags. Turning to its then-supplier, Swedish-American company Autoliv, the automaker asked them to match its design or risk losing their contract. But there was a problem.

When Autoliv’s scientists tested the Takata device, they found that inflation relied on a dangerously volatile compound. They decided they could not match the design due to safety concerns.

That compound is now at the center of the largest automotive recall in history. Worldwide, 14 people have died and more than 100 others have been injured due to the faulty airbags. The airbags were installed into the vehicles manufactured by General Motors and 16 other manufacturers.

The savings is just a few dollars per airbag, yet evidence indicates that the quest for savings compromised the critical safety device.

Tom Wilkinson, a GM spokesperson said that the discussions with Takata occurred prior to GM reorganizing due to bankruptcy in 2009. Because the discussions concerned “old GM” and a supplier, it was not appropriate to comment.

Takata began embracing ammonium nitrate as the inflating agent after a series of explosions at its Moses Lake, Washington plant forced the company to purchase airbags from a competitor to get them to automakers. The compound is cheaper but changes in temperature and moisture make it more volatile.

Scientists working for Takata at the time raised concerns, but those concerns went unheeded. Autoliv tested the devices around this time in the late 1990s and found that the explosion destroyed the inflating devices. Their concerns were such that they warned automakers of the dangers.

Still, no recalls regarding the devices were issued until 2008, when Honda began issuing the first recalls. It wasn’t until 2013 that other auto manufacturers also began issuing recalls for the vehicles with Takata airbags.

Today, more than 64 million airbags have been involved in the recall.

If you have been injured by a defective Takata airbag, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the law offices of John Foy & Associates. The “Strong Arm” attorneys will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.

September 20, 2016 - 43 Million Vehicles Involved in GM Airbag Recall:

General Motors is amidst a vehicle recall involving some 43 million vehicles and their airbag software. This recall is unrelated to the recall involving the Takata airbags linked to several injuries and deaths worldwide.

The recall concerns a rare occurrence where the sensor that controls the airbag deployment will go into standby mode. If this happens during a crash, the airbag will not deploy and seat belts may not function correctly.

The company first learned of the problem in May when a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado was involved in a crash and the airbag did not deploy. The company notified Delphi. The two companies tested the modules and made the decision to recall the vehicles.

Customers will be notified and the software would be updated for free. For vehicles still on dealer lots, the dealers have the update so these vehicles can be quickly updated.

The recall is a large one. However, the recall involves a software update and not a mechanical change. The affected vehicles are models from years 2014 through 2017. Affected brands include Buick, Chevrolet, GM, and Cadillac.

This recall is unlike the notorious ignition switch recall in 2014. This recall is voluntary and does not appear to involve the company’s failure to respond to reports of serious injury or fatality.

In total, the recall involves some 4.28 million vehicles worldwide. The majority, 3.6 million are in the United States.

In a statement, the company said that the cost of this recall is not expected to be material. It will be included in the third-quarter earnings report which will be released in late October.

If you have been injured due to a GM vehicle airbag failure, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the “Strong Arm” attorneys at the law offices of John Foy & Associates. We can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.

September 19, 2016 - GM Tries to Buy Time in Recall Effort:

General Motors is seeking to avoid the recalls related to Takata airbags that have plagued automakers such as Honda and Toyota.

GM filed a petition on September 2nd that was later made public requesting a delay in the recall. The petition made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked the agency to delay a recall that was set to begin on December 31st. The concerned vehicles are full-size trucks and SUVs manufactured between 2007 and 2012.

GM is requesting the one-year delay in order to conduct a long-term aging study and fully analyze the service life of the inflators. The study would be conducted by GM and an outside firm.

The NHTSA has identified some 6.8 million vehicles that are equipped with Takata airbags that should be recalled. GM stated earlier that they do not believe there is a safety defect with the airbags, but had agreed to an initial recall.

In a securities filing, the automaker outlined the costs the recall would impose on the company. Replacing all 6.8 million Takata airbags could cost the company $870 million.

Tom Wilkenson, a GM spokesperson said that the company is still in talks with the agency. No repairs have begun on the affected vehicles.

GM is maintaining that the Takata inflators used in their vehicles have a unique design that poses no safety risk. Of 44,000 deployments in the manufacturer’s large pickups and SUVs, there have been no injuries.

Worldwide, upward of 100 million vehicles with Takata air bag inflators have been declared defective. They have been linked to 14 deaths and more than 100 injuries. The inflators can explode with too much force, causing metal shrapnel to spray into the passenger compartments.

If you have been injured by the deployment of a Takata airbag, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the law offices of John Foy & Associates and let the “Strong Arm” attorneys work for you. We can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.