New Jersey Personal Injury Blog

General Motors Passenger Car Recall Issued for a Failure to Comply with Side Window Air Bag Safety Standards

General Motors announced the recall of 47,401 vehicles because of the company’s failure to adhere to requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.” A safercar.gov alert states that certain model year 2011 Cadillac SRX passenger vehicles are involved in the recall.

The potential problem with the vehicles is that the passenger side roof-rail air bag deactivates and would not deploy if the front passenger seat is not occupied. This airbag is designed to protect rear seat passengers as well, and therefore, if such deactivation occurs, any occupant in the right rear seat may not be protected in the event of frontal and side collisions. This increases the risk of injury to rear seat passengers. GM dealers are expected to reprogram the sensing and diagnostic module at no cost to vehicle owners.

Air bags are expected to comport with standards meant to ensure motorist safety. However, as this recent vehicle air bag recall demonstrates, auto manufacturers do not always comply with well-established safety standards.

Litigation concerning air bag defects is intricate and requires the expertise of legal counsel experienced in handling automobile product liability matters. New Jersey air bag defect attorneys who have obtained successful results in auto product liability cases can help guide you through the legal process. At Blume Goldfaden, our lawyers have decades of experience protecting the rights of those harmed as a result of automotive product defects and design flaws. Call our firm at 973-635-5400 for a no-cost consultation.