MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Gilbert, a leading South Florida law firm, filed a class action lawsuit on February 17 on behalf of consumers who own or lease vehicles in the United States that have defective airbags manufactured by Continental Automotive and its supplier Atmel Corporation. The lawsuit follows the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recent recall of approximately 500,000 U.S. vehicles that contain the defective airbags.
The class action lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, names as defendants Continental Automotive Systems and its German parent company Continental AG (CON:GR), Atmel Corporation (AMTL:NASDAQ), Mercedes Benz USA and its German parent Daimler AG (DAI:GR), and American Honda and its Japanese parent Honda Motor Co. (HMC:NYSE). According to the complaint, Continental, Atmel and Mercedes Benz have been aware of the airbag defect since 2008, based on a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that was made public last week. The complaint alleges that semiconductors inside the component parts of the affected airbags can corrode, causing the airbags to deploy unexpectedly or fail to deploy at all, placing vehicle occupants in danger. The affected U.S. models include the following vehicles:
- 2008-2009 Chrysler Town & Country
- 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
- 2009 Dodge Journey
- 2008-2010 Honda Accord
- 2008-2009 Mercedes C Class
- 2010 Mercedes GLK Class
- 2009 Volkswagen Routan
Initial reports indicate that certain vehicles manufactured and sold by other companies may also be affected.
“Once again, American consumers have been placed in harm’s way because an important safety device intended to protect them in the event of a vehicle collision may not work at all, and may actually endanger them and their families,” said Robert C. Gilbert, who filed the suit and chairs the class action and complex litigation practice at Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Gilbert. According to Gilbert, the class action lawsuit seeks to hold the airbag manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers liable for all costs and damages arising from the defective airbags: “We intend to hold these companies accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
If you or a family member owns or leases one of the potentially affected vehicles described above, or if you are concerned that your vehicle may be affected and have questions, please contact attorneys Avi Kaufman or Scott Edelsberg at (877) 525-4100 or via email at airbag@kolawyers.com to discuss the lawsuit and your potential claims.
With offices throughout South Florida, Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Gilbert serves as lead and co-lead counsel in class actions throughout the country.
