The family of the teen killed by a faulty Takata airbag last month is suing everyone involved, including Honda and TK Holdings, Inc., the company that makes the airbags.
Seventeen-year-old Huma Hanif was the 10th person in the U.S. to die from a malfunctioning detonator in the airbag.
The lawyer for the family, Mo Aziz, said all of these deaths could have been prevented if Takata wasn’t trying to save money by using a dangerous and chemical, ammonium nitrate, that, when detonated, can be half as powerful as a hand grenade.
“It is just hard to accept that I will never be able to hug her, hold her or tell her how much I love her,” said Uzma Hanif, Huma’s older sister.
The Hanif family lives with the only things they have left of their beloved Huma: pictures and memories.
“She was a beautiful, ambitious young woman with a big dream,” said Faizan Hanif, Huma’s older brother.
They are suing those who cut the 17-year-old’s dream and life short, when Huma got into a minor accident that she should have walked away from. The Takata airbag malfunctioned in her 2002 Honda Civic, sending shrapnel into her neck and killing her.
“That piece of metal is what caused Huma’s fatal injury. Takata has known about the dangers of ammonium nitrate for years,” Aziz said.
Honda said it had issued recall notices to the owner of that vehicle.
“We have not seen any evidence of that and have asked Honda to provide us with any evidence,” said Aziz.
Aziz said the recall notices are after the fact. The real danger is the ammonium nitrate that is supposed to trigger the airbag to inflate. Something goes wrong when it is exposed to different temperatures, Aziz said, citing an example when the airbag is exposed to temperatures warmer than 90 degrees and then cooler than 90 degrees, the chemical mixed with fuel can act as an explosive.
“Ammonium nitrate can detonate under certain circumstances,” Aziz said.
The Hanif family said another life lost is one too many, and hopes Honda and Takata will make a change. The family wants to make sure Huma’s death is not in vain.
“I will never see her do graduation, become a nurse or get married,” said Uzma.