Judge John A. Kronstadt of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California appointed Lesley Weaver to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the multidistrict litigation.
The class action complaint allege the ZF-TRW airbag and seat belt control units in over 15 million cars sold are defective and may prevent airbags from inflating in the event of crash. This defect has been linked to at least eight deaths and several serious injuries. The complaint names as defendants ZF-TRW, STMicro, and vehicle manufacturers, Kia, Hyundai, Hyundai MOBIS, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and Mitsubishi.
On November 28, Judge Kronstadt granted final approval of the settlement for Toyota Class Members, with settlement benefits worth more than $147.8 million. On October 10, 2023, Plaintiffs announced a settlement with Defendants Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. The remaining parties have briefed motions to dismiss, to stay discovery, and to compel arbitration.
