Boston Injury Lawyer Blog
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, repair professionals and vehicle owners should watch out for counterfeit air bags. Often used as a replacement part at independent repair stores, these imitation safety devices generally don’t work properly and in a Boston car crash will likely fail to provide a motor vehicle occupant with the protection he/she needs.
Unfortunately, imitation air bags hard to identify because they look almost exactly like the ones that are certified as original and usually come with the branding of a legitimate automaker. NHTSA says that these counterfeit products were not properly tested.
According to NHTSA testing, imitation air bags have a tendency to fail to deploy properly or they expel metal shrapnel pieces during deployment. While there have been no reports of deaths or injuries so far, the US Department of Transportation says that more than 100 kinds of cars may have had a fake air bag installed. Just under 240,000 vehicles may be affected. You can find a list of the affected makes and models on the NHTSA website by visiting the link below.
Who is at Risk of Having a Counterfeit Airbag in His/Her Vehicle:
• Consumers who had their vehicle air bag replaced at a repair shop that isn’t part of a dealership in the past three years • Consumers that bought their airbag (usually online) at a very low price • Consumers who had an air bag replaced after a recent crash and are unsure of where the device came from • Consumers that own a car that has been reconstructed, salvaged, or rebuilt • Used car owners whose vehicle’s air bag may have been replaced while under previous ownership.
Our Boston airbag failure lawyers represent clients that were injured because an air bag did not deploy, deployed when it shouldn’t have, and/or caused serious injury to the occupant. You may have grounds for a Massachusetts products liability lawsuit against a negligent automaker, air bag manufacturer, seller, distributor, and/or other liable parties.
Counterfeit Air Bags Pose Safety Issue for Vehicle Occupants, Warns NHTSA, NHTSA, October 10, 2012
Air Bag Safety, SaferCar.gov
More Blog Posts:
Seat Belts and Air Bags Together Are Key to Preventing Spine Fractures During Motor Vehicle Accidents, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, January 27, 2009
Kia Issues Recall for Airbag Problem, Boston Car Accident Lawyers Blog, June 5, 2012
Massachusetts Auto Defect, and Not Drunken Driving, May Have Been Cause of Deadly Pittsfield Crash, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, April 14, 2012
