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ARC Airbag Inflator Ruptures Linked to Multiple Incidents Involving Deaths and Severe Injury

Newsome Melton, along with several other firms, has filed a class-action lawsuit again ARC and several automakers to ensure that consumers are safe from allegedly defective airbags. That case was filed on May 24, 2022 in the Northern District of California. The lawsuit includes the following defendants: ARC Automotive Inc., General Motors, Volkswagen, and Ford. We know that the alleged defect in the ARC inflators has been linked to at least seven incidents. Two incidents are reported to have caused the deaths of the drivers involved. Three other incidents are reported to have resulted in serious physical injuries to two drivers and a passenger. It’s not yet clear whether the other incidents resulted in injury or death.

Can I join the airbag inflator lawsuit?

You may be able to join the class action lawsuit if you purchased a vehicle manufactured by one of the defendants listed above. Whether you can or not will depend on whether your particular make and model was equipped with ARC inflators. So far, our team has been able to identify certain makes and models as having those inflators, but we continue to add to the list as our investigation uncovers more information. Please give us a call at 888-541-0000 if you would like to talk about whether you may qualify for the class action lawsuit. We are always happy to consult with you, free of charge.

What if I or a loved one have been hurt or killed by an airbag inflator rupture?

Too often, injuries like those reportedly suffered in the ARC incidents go undetected and unreported because people do not expect an airbag to shoot metal shrapnel. That’s why it’s critical for people to be on the lookout for odd things one would not expect to find after a crash—like pieces of metal being embedded in the necks, faces, torsos, arms, or legs of the driver or passenger, as well as holes in the airbag cushion or pieces of the inflator canister located in the vehicle’s cabin.

If you or a loved one were injured by shrapnel or other unexpected circumstances, we can help you investigate whether you may have a personal injury or wrongful death claim. These claims are different from the class action. Personal injury and wrongful death claims are resolved on an individual rather than class-wide basis, with the goal being to obtain monetary compensation for:

  • Medical Bills
  • Lost Wages
  • Lost Earnings Potential
  • Loss of consortium (i.e., negative impacts on a marriage or relationships between other relatives, depending on the jurisdiction), and
  • Pain and suffering Please give us a call at 888-541-0000 if you, a loved one, or a client has suffered harm in an automobile crash that you think could have been caused by a product defect. We will review the case with you, free of charge, and give you our opinion as to the strength of the case. If we decide to move forward, we will pursue the case on a contingency fee basis—meaning no attorney’s fees or costs will be owed unless and until we obtain money from the defendant.