A Florida man and a Florida law firm filed the latest in a growing list of class-action lawsuits against Japanese auto supplier Takata on Nov. 25 over customer claims of lost vehicle value connected to recent airbag recalls.
Christopher D. Johnston and Hartman Law Firm P.A. filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, also naming auto manufacturers Honda and Toyota and Takata's American subsidiaries, TK Holdings Inc. and Highland Industries Inc., as co-defendants.
It’s at least the seventh class-action lawsuit filed against Takata and the second filed in Florida in four days. A similar suit was filed on Nov. 21 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The latest suit seeks compensation for lost vehicle value and consumers’ loss of use of their vehicles after approximately 7.8 million vehicles made between 2002 and 2008 by 10 automakers were recalled to replace allegedly faulty Takata-made air bags. Four deaths and 139 injuries have been linked to the products.
Johnston owns a 2004 Acura MDX and the Hartman Law Firm a 2005 Toyota Tundra – both of which have been recalled to replace air bags.
The law offices of Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC and The Garvin Law Firm filed the suit, requesting a trial by jury.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida case number 4:14-cv-00635-MW-CAS.