Jury Awards $3 Million in Defective Airbag Injury Case

Jose Hernandez received $3 million from a South Florida jury after sustaining severe injuries in a 2020 crash due to a defective Takata airbag. The airbag inflator exploded, causing shrapnel to injure Hernandez. Takata's airbags have been linked to numerous injuries and fatalities due to their faulty design.

A South Florida jury has awarded a substantial $3 million in damages to Jose Hernandez, following a critical injury caused by a faulty Takata airbag in a 2020 automobile accident. The verdict, delivered by Miami-Dade jurors on Thursday, marks a significant chapter in the ongoing saga of Takata’s defective airbag issues.

Hernandez, who was injured while driving his 2005 Honda Civic, filed a lawsuit in 2022 against the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund, established during Takata's bankruptcy proceedings. The collision, initially expected to result in minor injuries, turned severe when the airbag's inflator exploded improperly, sending metal shrapnel into Hernandez's right arm.

The defective Takata airbags have been linked to 28 deaths in the U.S. and numerous injuries, prompting massive recalls since 2013. The airbags utilized ammonium nitrate, a chemical that can become hazardous due to prolonged heat and humidity exposure, leading to dangerous explosions that scatter debris inside the vehicle.