General Motors (GM) filed a petition asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for permission to delay the recall of one million vehicles with Takata airbags.
To date, there have been 14 deaths and more than 100 injuries linked to defective Takata airbags.
However, GM’s petition claims that the vehicles with these airbags installed are not at risk of rupturing because of special design features.
GM also notes that there were 44,000 airbag deployments in this group of vehicles, yet none of the airbags ruptured.
GM hired an investigator to begin a year-long study in an effort to prove the company is right that these airbags are not dangerous.
The company hopes to save millions by not repairing affected vehicles, unlike other major automakers.
For affected GM vehicle owners, one year is a long time to wait to determine if GM’s investigator deems the vehicles safe.
Thousands of vehicle owners could be at risk for severe injury or death if their airbags become unstable and deploy, spewing metal shrapnel into vehicle cabins.
Affected GM Vehicles
The 2007-2012 GM vehicles affected by the massive recall include:
- GMC Yukon
- Cadillac Escalade
- Chevrolet Suburban
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- GMC Sierra
- Chevrolet Silverado
The NHTSA mandated that all vehicles installed with airbag inflators using the unstable chemical inflator be recalled. However, the consent order between the NHTSA and Takata has a provision that permits auto manufacturers to request a different recall schedule.
With 65 million recalled inflators, the Takata scandal is the largest and most complex recall to date.
If you, or your loved one, has been injured by a defective Takata airbag, you may be eligible to receive compensation for the pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other damages you suffered.
Speak to a compassionate injury attorney at O’Connor, Acciani & Levy today and find out how you can take the first step towards justice.