Honda Motor Co and Japanese parts maker Takata Corp are being sued in the United States over the death of a pregnant Malaysian woman, killed in a collision in July involving her 2003 Honda City, according to a Bloomberg report. The car contained a defective Takata-manufactured airbag inflator, centre of a series of massive worldwide recalls since the issue first surfaced in 2008.
Law Suk Leh, 42, died when a metal fragment from a ruptured driver’s airbag sliced into her neck in the accident – in which she was driving at around 30 km/h when another vehicle hit her at a junction – according to the lawsuit filed by her father Law Ngee Chiong at a Miami federal court. Her daughter, delivered after the mother’s death, passed away three days later.
Although the incident happened in Malaysia, lawyer Kevin Dean said that the suit was filed in the US because “the defective inflator at issue” was produced at Takata’s now-defunct plant in Georgia. A malfunctioned conveyor at the factory exposed the propellant tablets left on the belt to moisture. Honda said that such moisture could cause the explosives to become unstable, detonating with excessive force during a collision.
The lawsuit has been combined with around 24 airbag personal injury and death claims before US district judge Federico Moreno in Miami for pre-trial rulings and evidence gathering. The lawyers filed a combined complaint on Thursday, claiming that Takata, Honda and other manufacturers hid airbag defects for years.
Suk Leh’s death is the fifth linked to defective airbags and, besides being the first to occur outside of the United States, is the first to involve the driver’s side airbag; according to US senator Bill Nelson, another 105 people have been injured so far.
Following the incident, Honda Malaysia issued a recall involving 15,734 vehicles locally to replace the driver-side airbags – the models affected by the recall are 15,612 units of the Honda City sold in 2003 and 2004 as well as 122 units of the fully-imported Honda Jazz sold in 2004.
Honda has also since expanded its ongoing recall to another 170,000 units of the Jazz, City and Civic in Asia and Europe, raising the total number of its vehicles affected by the Takata airbag recall to nearly 10 million units.
While involving Takata-made airbags yet again, this recall is different than that carried out in June, which the 2003 Honda City was also involved in. Then, Honda Malaysia recalled the City as well as the 2001-2003 Honda Stream, 2002-2003 Honda Jazz and 2003 Honda Accord to replace front passenger airbags.
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Omg … feel sorry for her family
WHY EVERY BAD NEWS ABROAD HAS TO BE LINKED TO A MALAYSIAN THESE days??
Why every individual criticise Malaysia?
Our Govt BN did a good job for Malaysian or Rakyat from suffering.
BN treat Rakyat really equally like US Govt.
Bro… u have issues. Its not about politics that u linked everything about politics. Dont tell me accident nowadays are determined by their political views.
#KeepPoliticsOutofPaulTan
Er… the incident happened in Malaysia. They are just suing in the US because that’s where the airbag manufacturer is.
What the hell is wrong with you?
It’s noteworthy because it’s the first fatality outside the States in this Takata disaster. So happens it’s a Malaysian. So what?
And it’s good for the family to have this case tried in the US while also combining theirs with other claims. The Malaysian courts will most definitely find Takata guilty, but most probably the compensation awarded will be lower compared to the US. It also strengthens the prosecutors case against Takata to show the disastrous and global effect of their wrongdoings.
Why does a person (donkey kong) who cannot read and has no brain bother to comment?
It is better to read before you comment.
govt should make AES available where there is a long straight road…
If G can subsidize around RM 1k++ for every car to install a dash camera front and back which later can send (through MMS) to police and JPJ to investigate and sue any road gangster, lumba haram etc. But this high tech device still not avail in the market so far.
“Car enthusiast” will rage for more airbags, they will need another airbag to absorb the shrapnel from the first airbag
Yeah, because its a safety issue
Yea. I know right. All bashing want more airbags. Side, front, backside, some even want I in the trunk. But no one bother to buckle up properly. It’s really a joke these Malaysians
This was happened in Sibu, Sarawak.
This happened in sibu. No need was. If not mistaken near Aman roundabout.
BTW,is not a proton.haters gonna hate
honda’s airbag kill a person, nobody bats an eye. Proton’s power windos failure, everybody lose their mind.
FYI it’s a big deal all over the world. Takata president has stepped down amid all the scandals and Honda president is also being pressured as well. Just because it is not widely reported in Malaysia doesn’t mean it is not a big deal. Try coming out of your cave once in a while
He meant HERE.
The answer.
Stop buying second hand Honda..
See …. and everyone is complaining why only 2 airbags ? More airbags means die faster due to defect …. ABS, VSC, and solid build/chassis with crumble zones, is better than more airbags …..
America and some other countries has an option to switch off the airbag passenger while driving alone. Thus help to reduce the cost if small accident happen which driver’s airbag only will functioning. How is Malaysian?
Moderator for PaulTan is sleeping. Allowing politic, marketing, brand defamatory or misconduct posts which are not related to article at all.
Honda sucks these days..avoid it.
hehe, did you own a vw car??? guess you not, so that’s why in your mind thinking of VW still struggling with DSG issue.