Mexican Media Brands
Takata Asks Judge to Suspend Airbag Lawsuits Against Carmakers
Bankrupt Takata Corp. is hoping for a federal court ruling today that would suspend hundreds of lawsuits filed against carmakers whose owners were injured by the company’s exploding airbag inflators.
#legal
Share
Bankrupt Takata Corp. is hoping for a federal court ruling today that would suspend hundreds of lawsuits filed against carmakers whose owners were injured by the company’s exploding airbag inflators.
The bankruptcy filings in June for Takata and U.S. affiliate TK Holdings Inc. automatically suspended similar lawsuits against the supplier. Now the company wants to extend the same protection to carmakers until it can complete a $1.6 billion asset sale to U.S.-based Key Safety Systems Inc., Reuters reports.
Takata contends that a suspension would hasten the sale and thereby ensure that production of replacement inflators continues without interruption. Plaintiffs’ attorney say the move is an abuse of bankruptcy law that will prolong the pain and suffering of victims.
The defective Takata inflators have been blamed for 18 deaths and some 180 injuries worldwide. Takata and 19 carmakers are recalling more than 100 million of the devices. The flawed inflators can deteriorate over time and then misfire when triggered by a crash. The resulting explosion blasts metal shards into the passenger compartment.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Tesla Sued Over Fatal Crash of Car in Autopilot Mode
Tesla Inc. has been sued by the family of a California man whose Tesla Model X crossover vehicle crashed into a highway barrier last year while the car was operating in semi-autonomous Autopilot mode.
-
VW Asks to Delay U.S. Diesel Emission Trials Over Hitler Reference
Volkswagen AG has asked a judge to delay several U.S. lawsuits involving rigged diesel emission controls because a lawyer representing hundreds of VW customers made “inflammatory” comments about the company.
-
U.S. Justice Dept. Asks VW to Delay Diesel Cheating Report
The U.S. Dept. of Justice has asked Volkswagen AG not to release findings of an independent probe into the German carmaker's diesel emission cheating scandal.