Rhode Island Lawyer, David Slepkow

BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, and Toyota have reported some of the most recent recalls due to faulty air bags manufactured by Takata Corporation. These recalls were made in response to an investigation conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which found that three people suffered serious injury related to defective and dangerous air bags. Honda announced that they are aware of at least thirty customers injured by the air bags, and two people who were killed as a result of air bag malfunctions.

Kristy Williams is one of the people injured by a faulty air bag in 2010. She was stopped at a red light when the air bag in her 2001 Honda Civic inexplicably deployed, inflicting serious wounds to her neck and carotid artery. She had to undergo numerous operations and suffered multiple seizures and strokes as a result of the explosive blast to her head and neck. Nine months after the incident, she and her personal injury attorney and Honda were able to reach a financial settlement.

As previously noted, GM has had the most egregious issues out of all the motor vehicle makers. So far, the death toll stands at 13 and 54 accidents have been directly linked to a GM ignition defect. There are, however, a number of other defects and issues and the total number of fatalities and injuries related to GM vehicles is not yet known.

The most high profile recalls from this year have involved defective ignition switches on GM vehicles that have been linked to at least 13 deaths which, according to safety advocates and U.S. safety regulators, could have been avoided had GM done something about the problem earlier.

GM is also under investigation by Congress, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – as well as several states — for its handling of the deadly ignition switch problems, which engineers first discovered in 2001 but which were not “detected” and addressed by GM until earlier this year. GM was also fined by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration a record $35 million for its “delayed response” to the defective ignition switch issue.

The recalls have cost GM financially, with the auto manufacturing giant taking a $1.3 billion hit in the first quarter of this year, mostly related to the ignition switch recall, and it is doubling the charge it expects to take in the second quarter to about $400 million, mostly related to recalls. Tuesday’s recalls bring the total number of recalls to 29 for the year. Their stock continued to tumble Tuesday, falling 3.1 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.

The financial losses to GM, however, pale in comparison when one considers the loss of those 13 lives and the crushing devastation that their families and friends have suffered, and will continue to suffer for many years to come.