Ford warned an additional 33,000 older pickup truck owners on Monday, February 12 to stop driving their vehicles until the potentially defective Takata airbag inflators can be fixed.
Back in January, Ford contacted about 2,900 owners of 2006 Ford Ranger trucks to tell them to stop driving their vehicles after a second person was killed by a defective airbag. The automaker announced the expanded warning after inspecting a vehicle owned by a Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. client.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these defective airbags are an immediate safety risk, and all owners should take their vehicles in for a free repair as soon as possible.
“These fatal incidents are a direct result of a faulty airbag, and could have been easily prevented with proper attention,” said Robert N. Peirce III of Robert Peirce & Associates. “Our team has a history of success in representing victims of such accidents, and with this recall, we hope to reach as many people as possible to ensure we bring justice to those who have been affected.”
Tens of millions of vehicles across the world have already been recalled due to these faulty inflators that can explode when the airbags deploy, sending shrapnel throughout the vehicle. At least 22 people have already been killed because of faulty Takata inflators, and more than 200 people have been injured. Takata, which filed for bankruptcy last year, expects that about 125 million vehicles will be recalled due to this issue by 2019.
At Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C., our Pittsburgh product liability lawyers are currently representing victims injured by these defective airbags. If you were injured by a defective Takata airbag, fill out our online form today to schedule a free case consultation with a member of our firm, or give us a call at (844) 383-0565 to discuss your situation over the phone.