North Carolina Product Liability Blog : North Carolina Product Liability Lawyer & Attorney : D. Hardison Wood : Toy Safety, Child Restraint, Car Seats

Nissan has issued a recall involving Infiniti G35 sedans and coupes. The recall involves approximately 134,000 vehicles due to a faulty connection that may keep airbags from deploying during a crash. NHTSA is reporting that a wire harness could be worn down to the point whereby a signal interruption may occur keeping an airbag from deploying.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said as many as 134,215 Infiniti G35 sedans from model years 2005-2006 and G35 coupes from model years 2005-2007 are subject to the recall. Read full story

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Several air bags have been recalled involving different car manufacturers. Many of these recalls have to with sensor problems causing the air bag either to fail in its deployment, or to go off causing serious injury to the passenger.

• GM: 12,662 2009 Cadillac CTS sedans over a software problem that may disable the front-passenger air bag when it should be enabled or vice versa.

• Nissan: more than 200,000 2007-08 Altima, 350Z, Murano and Rogue and Infiniti EX35, G35 and G37 vehicles to fix a sensor for the passenger-side air bag. Nissan is also recalling 16,365 2006 Murano and 2008 Infiniti EX35 SUVs to fix incorrectly programmed software that may lead passenger-side air bags to fail.

• BMW: 200,000 2006 3 Series and 2004-06 5 Series cars and 2004-06 X3 SUVs over concerns that the front-passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash. Small cracks could develop in a seat detection mat and deactivate the bags but activate the warning light.

• Hyundai: is recalling 393,714 2006-08 Sonata sedans to fix a problem with the air-bag system in the front passenger seat. The affected cars have an advanced system that disables the passenger front bag when it detects a child-restraint system or small child in the seat.

• Ford: is recalling 470,000 2005-08 Mustangs to update passenger-side front-air-bag software. Ford says internal testing showed the air bag could injure a small, unbelted passenger.

Read the article on chicagotribune.com

If you or someone you know has been injured due to an airbag or an airbag failure please contact our office at 919-677-0144.

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An interesting study was recently conducted regarding air bags and seat belt usage. Spine fractures occur very often after a motor vehicle crash and can lead to paralysis or death.

According to a new study, the combination of air bags and seat belts seem to lower the tendency of suffering a spine fracture during a motor vehicle crash.

The use of both seat belt and air bag was associated with decreased odds of a spine fracture. Use of an air bag alone was associated with increased odds of a severe thoracic, but not cervical spine fracture. Read the study here

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Make / Models :		Model/Build Years:
FORD / MUSTANG		2005-2008
Recall Number:	08V082000
Summary:
FORD IS RECALLING 434,593 MY 2008 MUSTANG VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH ONE OF THE NECK INJURY REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION," FOR AN UNBELTED 5TH PERCENTILE FEMALE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE IT IS IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION.
Consequence:
DURING AN AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, IF A SMALL FEMALE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS NOT WEARING THE SAFETY BELT, AND HAS THE SEAT IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, THERE MAY BE AN INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR A NECK INJURY.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT FEBRUARY 28, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332 OR THROUGH EMAIL TO WWW.OWNERCONNECTION.COM.
Notes:
FORD RECALL NO. 08C02. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION¿S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

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Make / Models :         Model/Build Years:          INFINITI / EX35     2008      NISSAN / MURANO     2009 Manufacturer : NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. Mfr's Report Date : FEB 12, 2008 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 08V066000 N/A NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: AIR BAGS

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 16365

Summary: NISSAN IS RECALLING 16,365 MY 2008 INFINITI EX35 AND MY 2009 NISSAN MURANO VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING, THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU) MAY CAUSE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG NOT TO OPERATE AS DESIGNED IF THE VEHICLE BATTERY BECOMES SIGNIFICANTLY DISCHARGED.

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG NOT INFLATING IN A CRASH IN WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO SO, AND INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ACU IN AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200 OR NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

Notes: CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

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Joseph McPhatter, of Randallstown, was injured in a crash on Interstate 83 after being cut off by another motorist in September. According to police, McPhatter was ejected 100 feet, hitting the ground at an impact rate of 140 mph.Police said that McPhatter might have been severely injured had it not been for the Impact Jacket he was wearing -- a jacket that inflates like an air bag when a motorcyclist is in an wreck. Read the whole story

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Side-impact crashes are the second most common fatal type after frontal crashes, killing 9,200 people in 2005. The percentage of fatalities caused by side-impact crashes is on the rise -- from 31 percent in 1980-81 to 49 percent in 2004-05.

That's at least partly because frontal air bags are required in today's vehicles (and have reduced frontal-crash fatalities), and side air bags are not, said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Also, Lund said, "growing sales of SUVs and pickups have exacerbated height mismatches among passenger vehicles, thereby increasing the risks to occupants of many vehicles struck in the side."

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