Hundreds of claims are expected in the future because thousands of defective Takata airbag inflators have not been brought in for repair in response to recall notices
Boston—The funds set up to compensate victims of Takata’s defective airbag inflators have announced they aremaking approximately $46 million in additional awards for individuals injured or killed by an exploding or aggressively deploying Takata airbag inflator.
Eric Green, trustee of the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Fund established by the Takata Bankruptcy in 2018 and Special Master of the Individual Restitution Fund established as part of Takata’s criminal guilty plea in 2017, said that the additional awards are going to 161 claimants already deemed eligible by the funds.
These claimants received initial awards earlier, but Green said that additional funding secured by the Takata Trust and a re-estimation of the number of claims the funds expect to receive in the future have enabled the funds to make substantial supplemental payments at this time.
“The good news,” Green said, “is that the funds have obtained more money and we now estimate fewer claims in the future. So we can supplement the initial payments. The bad news, is that unfortunately, we continue to expect hundreds of claims in the future because there are still thousands of defective Takata airbag inflators in cars that have not been brought in for repair in response to recall notices, even though they are time-bombs just getting more dangerous by the day.
“And even with the supplemental payments to deserving claimants, we still won’t be able to compensate them fully for the terrible injuries they have suffered.
“The most important message to owners of cars that still have these defective inflators is: get them out of your car,” Green said. “Don’t wait another day. They are getting older and more dangerous. If you have a Takata inflator that has been recalled, get it out NOW. The injuries we are seeing are horrendous, but they are preventable if more people would get their defective airbags replaced or if state DMV’s would require their replacement in order for a car to be re-registered or pass inspection.”
More information on the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund and the Takata Individual Restitution Fund can be found at www.takataairbaginjurytrust.com and www.takataspecialmaster.com.
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