A woman injured by a faulty Takata Corp air bag has settled her case and withdrawn her complaint, Japanese media reported yesterday.
The case was filed in May and was the first in Japan related to a massive global recall due to air bag problems.
The woman was in the front passenger seat of a 2006 Nissan X-Trail sport-utility vehicle when the vehicle crashed on a freeway in October last year and the air bag burst improperly, although the one for the driver’s seat worked properly, according to Nissan Motor Co.
Kyodo news agency reported that the woman settled with Takata.
NHK TV said that the settlement was worth ¥12 million (US$119,000).
Takata declined to reveal the specifics of the case, saying that another party, the woman, was involved.
Nissan Motor declined to comment.
The woman was injured in the face, the left arm and right hand, Nissan said.
The car model involved in the crash was part of a recall announced in May last year. The vehicle had been brought in, but no parts were replaced after a check to see if the bag’s inflator was airtight, which at the time Nissan thought meant it was safe.
After the accident, Nissan decided to replace all inflators, regardless of whether they were airtight. If a replacement part was not ready, the passenger side air bag would be turned off, Nissan has said.
Takata has expanded its recalls because of possible defective inflators that can explode with too much force, sending shrapnel flying into passengers.
The number of recalled vehicles now likely tallies more than 100 million. Faulty air bags have been responsible for 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries worldwide. Three more deaths are under investigation in Malaysia.
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