Honda Motor Company announced this week that it has under-reported 1,729 vehicle accidents resulting in deaths and injuries to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration going back to 2003, which is a violation of federal law.
The Japanese automaker blamed “inadvertent” data entry and operational errors. An audit of Honda’s records uncovered that Honda purposely delayed telling NHTSA about its death and injury reporting problems.
Honda admitted in a statement this week that it became aware of the omissions in early 2011, yet it took nearly three years to report the problem to authorities.
Since 2008, Honda has recalled over 5 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix potentially fatal defects in airbags manufactured by Japanese auto supplier Takata. Some airbags have ruptured during a crash and injured occupants with shards of flying metal.
Unreported Vehicle Deaths Caused By Defective Vehicle Equipment
One unreported death occurred on May 27, 2009, where Ashley Parham, 18, of Oklahoma City, was in an accident in her 2001 Honda Accord when the airbag inflated and sent flying shards of metal into her neck, killing her.
“Honda should get the maximum fine for massively violating the law”, said Clarence Ditlow, President of the non-profit Center for Auto Safety. “Honda hid more claims than it reported, so NHTSA should refer the case to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation”, he said. Ditlow also said it “strains credulity” that a company with Honda’s reputation for quality could be so reckless.
Experienced Product Liability Attorneys in Charlotte
The experienced attorneys at Charles G. Monnett III & Associates provide a free initial consultation, support, and assistance in finding resources to help you and your family deal with injuries caused in your car accident.
