Automotive Legal News Articles & Interviews

Washington, DC It was buried on page 70 of Ford Motor Co.’s March 31 SEC Form 10-Q, just before the last of many charts. The bland and reassuring words with which Ford disclosed a Department of Justice criminal investigation into Ford fuel economy representations belies the potential importance of that investigation to Ford class action lawsuits that now target both the Ford Ranger and F-150 truck models.

Los Angeles, CA: The chances of a defective Takata airbag exploding and firing metal shards at you, even in a minor fender bender, increase with rising temperatures. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says many people driving unsafe cars, including Honda, Ford and Mazda, haven’t grasped the recall’s urgency.

Miami, FL: Of about 50 million Takata defective airbags being recalled, some vehicles are more dangerous than others, according to the US. Department of Transportation. And some places have a greater potential to cause inflator ruptures—heat and humidity are risk factors.

Miami, FL: If you received an “owner notification letter” from your car dealership regarding a defective airbag and there was a problem getting a replacement inflator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says supply problems are over. But the Center for Auto Safety states that only a fraction of car owners have acted, with nearly 60 percent of inflators untouched. That statement, however, may not be completely accurate.

Santa Cruz,CA: Takata, the Japanese maker of airbags that contained defective inflators, which caused injuries and more than a dozen deaths of drivers and passengers, has reached a settlement to pay tort claimants.

Honolulu, HI: The State of Hawaii is suing Ford, Nissan and Toyota for marketing and selling vehicles with Takata airbags that could potentially explode and cause injuries or death.

Miami, FL: Airbag injuries suffered by unsuspecting victims are frustrating enough when caused by a safety device designed to protect, rather than injure. The massive Takata airbag recall involving millions of vehicles is the most widely-cited example of the problem. However a lesser-known issue, but one just as compelling involve used airbags and recycled airbags that have the capability of injuring, or causing death.

Santa Clara, CA: $553.6 million in settlements has been agreed in multi-district litigation (MDL) involving Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and BMW, which will see the automakers pay the sum to end claims brought by plaintiffs over alleged defective Takata airbags. To date, the airbags, which can explode, have been linked with 11 deaths in the US.

Washington, DC: In a potentially crushing blow to General Motors, the US Supreme Court has declined to consider an appeal from the automaker asking for a legal shield to protect GM from lawsuits related to faulty ignition switches on its vehicles.

Kansas City, MO: Recent reports of airbag injuries suffered by a young woman in an older-model car that had been in an accident and returned to the road with a replacement airbag, together with media reports originating from Kansas City with regard to recycled airbags, points to an entirely new issue with recalled airbags, and accompanying airbag lawsuits.