NHTSA Complaint #10080533 — 1997 HONDA CR-V

ON JUNE 29, 2004, MY WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR FENDER BENDER IN BURBANK. THIS WAS A LOW-SPEED, REAR-END COLLISION THAT SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN BOTH DRIVERS EXCHANGING INSURANCE INFORMATION AND GOING THEIR SEPARATE WAYS. INSTEAD, I RECEIVED AN HYSTERICAL PHONE CALL FROM MY WIFE, WHO WAS BEING TREATED BY PARAMEDICS FOR SEVERE SHOCK AND BURNS TO HER FACE AND ARMS. WE SPENT THE NEXT 6 HOURS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT ST. JOSEPHS HOSPITAL. THE SOLE CAUSE OF THESE INJURIES WAS THE IMPROPER DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH AIRBAGS IN HER 1997 HONDA CR-V. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, PARAMEDICS THOUGHT HER NOSE MIGHT HAVE BEEN BROKEN BY THE DEPLOYING AIRBAG, WHICH HAD ALSO CAUSED ABRASIONS ON HER FACE AND LACERATIONS INSIDE HER MOUTH. THIS MORNING, SHE IS BEING TREATED AT THE GROSSMAN BURN CENTER, IN VAN NUYS, AND WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT SHE MAY HAVE TO UNDERGO SURGERY FOR A SKIN GRAFT ON HER RIGHT HAND. AFTER SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL ATTORNEYS ON THE SUBJECT, I HAVE LEARNED THAT AUTOMAKERS, SUCH AS AMERICAN HONDA, MAKE IT ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR ANY POTENTIAL LAWSUIT BY SIMPLY MAKING IT TOO EXPENSIVE TO SUE. LAW FIRMS ARE NOT WILLING TO INVEST THE $50K TO $100K REQUIRED FOR THIS KIND OF LITIGATION UNLESS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIX-FIGURE AWARD. SINCE MY WIFES WOUNDS WILL EVENTUALLY HEAL, WITH SOME SCARRING TO HER ARMS, ANY AWARD IN A JURY TRIAL WOULD PROBABLY NOT MEET THAT STANDARD. FOR THAT REASON, LAWYERS WONT CONSIDER TAKING ON HER CASE. IT APPEARS TO BE COMMON PRACTICE FOR AUTOMAKERS TO INSTALL AIRBAGS THAT ROUTINELY DEPLOY IN LOW-SPEED COLLISIONS. IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE COMMON PRACTICE FOR THOSE SAME AUTOMAKERS TO IGNORE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED IN THESE OTHERWISE MINOR MISHAPS, AND PROVIDE ZERO COMPENSATION FOR THE PAIN AND SUFFERING VICTIMS HAVE ENDURED.*AK