Recalls from Defective Air Bags now Top Two Million Vehicles

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on May 27, 2014

Many Orlando personal injury attorneys have been following developments in recent automotive recalls very closely. It’s not uncommon that one auto manufacturer or another recalls a model or several models due to defective parts. However, what makes the most recent rounds of recalls most troubling is that:

1. It affects malfunctioning air bags that may or may not deploy during an accident and;
2. The problems now involve several different automakers.

Thus far this year, automakers have recalled around 6.6 million cars and trucks in the U.S. for defects that could prevent air bags from deploying during an accident. Examples of the different automakers and models or classes of vehicles affected include:

• Ford Motor Co., which recently recalled 600,000 SUV models. Ford engineers discovered that software bugs prevented the air bags from deploying in some rollover accidents.
• Nissan’s recent recall affects nearly one million of their vehicles, including 2014 Altima models, due to another software glitch that occasionally determines that the passenger seat is empty, thereby preventing air bags on that side from deploying.
• In perhaps the most high profile automotive recalls so far this year, General Motors officials were recently summoned to testify before Congress for air bag failures that have been blamed for at least 13 deaths in Chevrolet Cobalts and several other models. GM says that they have traced the problem to faulty ignition switches, which can shut off without warning.

Experts say that the problems mostly stem from the ever-increasing complexity of vehicles in general and the air bag deployment systems in particular.

“The more situations you’re trying to cover, the more complex your algorithms get, and the harder it is to know that it’s going to do the right thing,” said David Zuby, chief research officer for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “It’s hard to test everything and the real world is a lot more complicated than the test laboratory.”

Mr. Zuby raises an excellent point but it does not absolve automakers from the liabilities of people being injured and killed by defective parts in their automobiles. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a defective air bag in a recalled vehicle, you may be entitled to seek damages. To schedule a free consultation where you can learn about your rights and legal options, call Orlando air bag recall lawyer James O. Cunningham today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.