The death toll tied to defective Takata Corp. air bags rose to
seven as Honda Motor Co. on Friday confirmed an inflater
manufactured by the Japanese supplier ruptured in an April car
crash that killed a Louisiana woman.
The rupture of the inflater in the driver-side air bag of the
2005 Honda Civic in Lafayette, La., "resulted in the death of the
driver," Kylan Rae Langlinais, Honda said in a statement on Friday.
The vehicle was part of a June 2014 "safety improvement campaign"
linked to the driver-side air-bag inflater, Honda said.
Honda said it has been in touch with U.S. auto-safety regulators
at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the crash.
The agency's chief on Friday said regulators, too, had determined a
ruptured Takata air-bag inflater was the probable cause of the
woman's death.
"After examination of the vehicle and other evidence, NHTSA has
concluded that a ruptured Takata air-bag inflater is likely to have
been involved," NHTSA chief Mark Rosekind said in a statement.
"This tragedy underscores the necessity of the actions NHTSA is
taking to ensure that every vehicle on America's roads has a safe
air bag."
"We extend our deep sympathies to the family," a Takata
spokesman said in a statement. "We will continue to work with NHTSA
and our automotive customers to facilitate the required recalls and
ensure the safety of the driving public."
The vehicle was sold a few months after its safety campaign
launched in October 2014, Honda said, citing registration records.
A notice was received in Ms. Langlinais's mail two days after the
crash, on April 7, according to a lawsuit filed by the woman's
mother.
The Japanese auto maker extended "deepest sympathies" to the
woman's family and said it is "currently in communication with
representatives of the family in an effort to address their
concerns."
Nearly a dozen auto makers are currently recalling about 34
million vehicles equipped with the problematic air bags, the
largest automotive recall in U.S. history. The air bags are in
vehicles manufactured by auto makers ranging from Toyota Motor
Corp. to General Motors Co., with Honda especially exposed.
Separately on Friday, Honda said it expects to spend $363
million in additional recall-related costs after it decided to
expand its air bag recalls. The costs will be reflected on Honda's
profits from last financial year that ended in March 2015 due to
accounting rules, a spokesman said.
A Takata executive was grilled by lawmakers earlier this month
over the chemical explosive used in its air bags, and the Japanese
supplier faces additional scrutiny from regulators and a U.S.
Justice Department probe over the safety defect.
Ms. Langlinais's mother sued Honda and Takata earlier this month
in a federal court in Louisiana, blaming them for her daughter's
death. The 22-year-old's Honda Civic hit a utility pole on April 5,
according to the lawsuit, and the air bag system exploded, sending
metal shards and shrapnel into the vehicle. Ms. Langlinais suffered
a "penetrating injury to the right side of her neck, causing an
immediate and profuse loss of blood," according to the suit. The
injury resulted "in a complete transection of Mrs. Langlinais'
right carotid artery." She died 4½ days later, the suit said.
Write to Mike Spector at mike.spector@wsj.com
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