BMW has paid millions of dollars in settlements for lawsuits involving vehicles with defective airbags that can explode and shoot out deadly metal shrapnel, even after minor crashes.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting BMW airbag explosion induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by metal that shot out of a BMW airbag that exploded after a crash, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is the Problem?
Thousands of BMWs are on the road today with defective airbag inflators that can explode and shoot out deadly metal shrapnel — even after minor collisions or fender-benders.
Safety Officials Demand Recall for ARC Airbag Inflators
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) believes that around 52 million airbag inflators made by ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive are defective because they can explode metal shrapnel that injures or kills people in the vehicles, and fail to inflate the airbag.
These dangerous airbag inflators were manufactured by ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive between 2000 and January 2018, and installed in vehicles that were sold by BMW and 11 other auto-makers. At least 2 deaths and 7 injuries have been linked to metal from ARC airbag inflators, according to the NHTSA.
90,000 BMWs Are Too Dangerous To Drive
In May 2023, BMW issued a DO NOT DRIVE order for around 90,000 older-model vehicles with airbags that are extremely dangerous because they can explode. According to safety officials, these older airbags have a 50% chance of exploding in a crash:
“These vehicles are 17 to 22 years old, and the risk to vehicle occupants is dire. These are some of the oldest Takata air bags under recall and have an extremely high probability of failure during a crash. If the inflators rupture, the metal fragments ejected toward the driver’s face could kill or leave them with devastating, life-altering injuries.”
What BMW Airbags Have The Highest Risk?
BMW has also recalled many newer-model vehicles, but Takata airbags in these older vehicles (especially in hot and humid climates) pose the highest risk of rupturing and causing severe injuries or death:
- 2000-2006 BMW 3 Series (E46) including M3
- 2000-2003 5 Series (E39) including M5
- 2000-2004 X5 (E53)
Safety Risks From Airbag Explosions
The injuries linked to airbag explosions often resemble gunshot wounds or knife attacks. The victims include both drivers and passengers. In many cases, they were involved in minor accidents that would have normally been survivable (such as bumping a curb). Instead, when the airbag deployed, a defective airbag inflator exploded and shot out jagged pieces of metal through the airbag and into the victim’s face, neck, chest, or body, resulting in life-threatening injuries or deaths.
Why Do Takata Airbags Explode?
The problem is that Takata used a highly-volatile chemical called ammonium nitrate in the airbag inflator cartridge, the same chemical used in fertilizer bombs. Over time, ammonium nitrate becomes unstable when it is exposed to moisture in the air, especially in places with hot and humid climates. Explosions occur when the ammonium nitrate burns all at once, blowing apart its metal canister instead of safely inflating the airbag.
Deaths Linked to Defective BMW Airbags
Takata airbag explosions have been linked to at least 32 deaths worldwide, with most of those deaths in the U.S., plus at least 400 injuries. The deaths in BMW vehicles include an unidentified driver of a 1998 BMW 3 Series car in an unknown location in Australia, which BMW reported in September 2019. Another death occurred in September 2020, with an unidentified BMW driver located in Arizona.
Can I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm. We are filing lawsuits for people who were injured (or family members of those who died) after being hit by metal shrapnel that shot out of an airbag that was installed on a BMW.
Do I Qualify to File a Lawsuit?
Individuals and family members of people who were hit by metal shrapnel that blew out of an airbag may qualify to file a lawsuit. This includes airbag inflators that were manufactured by Takata Corp., ARC Automotive, and Delphi Automotive Systems.
This is not a complete list of BMWs with potentially dangerous airbags, but BMW has issued specific warnings about airbags in the following vehicles:
- 2008-2013 1 Series
- 2000-2013 3 Series
- 2000-2003 5 Series
- 2013-2015 X1
- 2007-2010 X3
- 2000-2004 X5
- 2007-2013 X5
- 2008-2014 X6
About Class Actions
Numerous lawsuits and class actions have already been filed against Takata, BMW, and other auto-makers by lawyers representing people who own vehicles with defective airbags.
For example, BMW and three other auto-makers agreed to pay a $553 million settlement to exit a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) that centralized civil lawsuits into one court.
The class action settlement did NOT involve claims for personal injury or property damage. Instead, the settlement was limited to people who suffered economic losses, such as lower resale value on vehicles with un-repaired airbags. For more information, visit https://www.autoairbagsettlement.com/en/BMW
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits Against BMW
Airbags are supposed to save lives, not kill people or cause life-changing injuries. Our law firm is filing individual airbag injury lawsuits against BMW so that we can focus on helping people seek compensation for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost income, permanent injuries or disabilities, wrongful death of a family member, and other losses.
Do I have a BMW Airbag Class Action Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting BMW airbag explosion induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by metal that shot out of a BMW airbag that exploded after a crash, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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