Hawaii sues Takata, Honda over unsafe, defective air bags

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) – The state of Hawaii is suing Japanese manufacturer Takata over defective air bags they say threaten peoples’ lives.

The lawsuit filed Friday in the First Circuit Court of Hawaii also names auto manufacturer Honda.

Millions of Takata’s defective air bags have been recalled because their inflators can explode. Hawaii is the first state in the nation to sue over the air bags, which are blamed for at least 11 deaths worldwide and more than 100 injuries.

The Hawaii complaint seeks penalties of $10,000 per violation.

A call to Takata’s office in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon was not returned.

Chris Martin, a spokesman for American Honda Co., says Honda hasn’t yet received the lawsuit so it can’t comment. He says Honda is cooperating with the government on the Takata air-bag inflator issue.

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