Honda has just recalled its 2001 Honda Civic, as part of an expansion of
an earlier recall involvingdefective driver’s side air bags. This
10-year-old model is the same one that college student Kristy Williams
was in on April 2010 when while stopped at a traffic light the vehicle’s
frontal air bags suddenly deployed, sending razor sharp metal pieces into
the left side of her neck as the driver’s side air bag exploded.
Williams’ carotid artery was cut and she began losing a great deal
of blood. She also broke her left arm. She then spent two weeks in the
ICU where she suffered from seizures and a heart attack while undergoing
multiple surgeries.
Williams’ Georgia auto products liability attorney has said that
Honda should have recalled the 2001 Honda Civic sooner and that this could
have prevented the college student from getting hurt. Honda has settled
Williams’ Georgia air bag defect lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.
However, Williams has been left with a six-inch scar on her neck and because
of her injury she will no longer be able to become a police officer.
Honda announced its expanded recall earlier this month–its fifth
one over the same defect since 2008. 20 car accidents and 2 deaths related
to this air bag safety issue have been reported in the US since 2009.
The automaker explained that should the driver’s side air bag go
off with too much force, its metal inflator casing could rupture. Seeing
as the casing holds an explosive propellant, the metal from the casing
could turn into shrapnel pieces and fly into the driver.
The autos named in this month’s Honda air bag defect recall include the:
• Honda Civic (’01,’02,’03 models)
• Acura 3.2 CL (’03 model)
• Honda Accord (certain ’01 and ’02 models)
• Acura 3.2 TL (’02 and ’03 models)
• Honda Odyssey (“01, ’02, ’03 models)
• Honda CR-V (’02 and ’03 models)
Air bags are supposed to be designed to protect passengers, not cause
them serious injury. For an air bag to deploy at the wrong time and without
warning can prove extremely catastrophic and even fatal.
Serious air bag injuries can include traumatic brain injury, neck injuries,
chest injuries, impact injuries, shrapnel injuries, hearing loss, blindness,
thoracic trauma, burn injuries, lacerations, arm fractures, leg fractures,
and abrasions.
How Honda’s faulty air bags maimed a Georgia student, USA Today,
December 20, 2011
Honda Recalls 304,000 Cars Globally Over Air Bag Concerns, ABC News, December 2, 2011
More Blog Posts:
Air Bag Defect Prompts Honda to Recall another 273,000 Autos, Product
Liability Law Blog, November 30, 2011
Serious Airbag Defect Leads Honda to Recall 440,000 More Civics, Accords,
and Acura TL’s, Product Liability Law Blog, July 31, 2009
Texas Auto Products Liability: Air Bag Defect Lawsuit Seeks Damages from
GM, Product Liability Law Blog, May 10, 2011
You want to work with an air bag defect law firm that is experienced in dealing with this type of auto defect and has the resources and skills to successfully pursue your financial recovery from an automaker and any other liable parties. The sooner you speak with an auto products liability lawyer to find out whether you have a case, the better.
