A 50-year-old Corona woman died in a collision in Riverside on Sept. 30, but now her death is being linked to a faulty Takata airbag, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports.
The NHTSA confirmed Thursday that a ruptured air bag inflator was the reason for Delia Robles’ death last month. Her death is the 11th in the United States and the 16th worldwide to be linked to the Takata airbag problem. Takata has recalled some 70 million airbags in the United States and about 100 million worldwide.
Delia Robles was involved in a collision last month on Monroe and Diana streets, just southeast of the California Baptist University. She was taken to Parkview Community Hospital where she later died of her injuries.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department initially investigated the crash and believed the driver in a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck who made a left turn in front of her 2001 Honda Civic was responsible for her death. It’s that driver that caused the collision, but not necessarily the reason why she died. This is typically the circumstances that raises a red flag for federal authorities. Federal and state officials got involved in the investigation and they believe the defective Takata airbags may be responsible.
The Takata air bag inflators are known to contain the chemical ammonium nitrate. This substance can deteriorate over time, particularly when it becomes exposed to moisture and high temperatures. The airbags were designed without a chemical drying agent that would have prevented them from becoming damaged. What happens is excessive pressure inside the airbags causes the inflators to suddenly burst. The metal canister that holds the airbag then ruptures and metal fragments are shot out puncturing the airbags causing injuries or death.
Most of the fatalities involving defective airbags were in vehicles made by Honda, but there are other auto makers whose vehicles have been linked to deaths and dozens of others who have recalled vehicles.
Help for Families
Johnson Attorneys Group is unique as it combines a personal injury and wrongful death practice with Lemon Law. This makes our law firm particularly well positioned to handle matters involving faulty Takata airbags. In fact, our law firm has experience with Takata and Honda on a previous claim that settled earlier this year. Our compassionate attorneys know how difficult it can be to cope with the loss of a loved one at the same time as pursuing a legal claim. It can be especially complicated with matters involving Takata and car manufacturers. It takes a team of experts to take on big businesses such as these. Attorney James Johnson is compassionate with his clients, but he is a tough negotiator when it comes to dealing with big auto makers. Call us for a free consultation at 800-235-6801 to find out how we can help.
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