February 22, 2019 — Public records show little progress on an investigation into injuries and deaths from ARC airbag inflators that exploded with metal shrapnel after car accidents.
The problem has been under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the last 4 years.
As the investigation drags on, another person was recently injured by an exploding ARC airbag inflator.
Last week, General Motors recalled 1,145 Chevrolet Malibu cars from the 2010 and 2011 model-years after learning that a driver was injured by metal shrapnel from an exploding ARC inflator in September 2017.
In July 2016, a woman from Canada who was driving a 2009 Hyundai Elantra was killed by metal shrapnel from an ARC inflator that exploded after a low-speed crash.
NHTSA opened the investigation into ARC airbag injuries in 2015, after a woman from Ohio was severely injured by metal shrapnel from an ARC inflator in a 2002 Chrysler Town and Country minivan.
ARC airbags contain an inflator that is similar to the inflators made by bankrupt Takata Corp. of Japan. The difference is that ARC only uses ammonium nitrate as a secondary method of inflating the bags.
The other difference is the number of deaths and injuries. At least 23 deaths and 300 injuries worldwide are linked to Takata airbag inflators, but there is only 1 known death linked to ARC airbag inflators.
Do I have an Airbag Injury Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting ARC airbag induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by metal shrapnel when an airbag exploded, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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