Jury Awards Man $3M for Defective Airbag That Caused Serious Injury in Crash

A South Florida jury has awarded $3 million to a man who was severely injured by a defective airbag in a 2020 crash.

Miami-Dade jurors reached a verdict for Jose Hernandez on Thursday, according to court records. He had filed a lawsuit in 2022 against Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund, which was formed during Takata’s bankruptcy.

Hernandez was driving his 2005 Honda Civic in Miami in December 2020 when another vehicle hit him as he tried to make a left turn, his attorneys said. The collision should have caused only minor injuries, but the car’s Takata airbag inflator improperly exploded, shooting a piece of metal shrapnel several inches long into Hernandez’s right arm, the lawsuit said.

Attorneys for the Takata trust didn’t immediately respond to an email Monday seeking comment.

At least 28 deaths have been linked to Takata air bag inflators in the U.S. and at least 36 worldwide, according to regulators. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt. Large-scale recalls began in 2013.

Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time due to high heat and humidity and explode with too much force. That can blow apart a metal canister and send shrapnel into the passenger compartment.