Safety regulators link Takata air bag to another death

Honda, the maker of the car, confirms the air bag inflator ruptured during the crash

US regulators have confirmed that an air bag made by Takata Corp was involved in the April death of a woman in Louisiana, connecting the defective air bags to a seventh fatality.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it examined the car Kylan Langlinais drove, read police and medical reports, and other evidence.

Takata said it had no comment. Honda, the maker of the car, confirmed that the air bag inflator ruptured during the crash.

Takata, the NHTSA and automakers are still trying to determine why the inflators explode, but it's known that a chemical that inflates the air bags can expand with too much force, blowing apart a metal inflator and sending shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

In addition to the seven deaths, the problem is linked to more than 100 injuries. Takata bowed to government pressure in May and declared many of the air bags defective, doubling a recall of the inflators to 33.8 million. That made it the largest auto recall in US history.

The recall covers air bags in cars and trucks made by 11 companies.

A 2005 Honda Accord driven by Langlinais crashed into a utility pole in Lafayette, Louisiana on the morning of April 5. Honda confirmed today that it sent a recall notice for the car three days before the crash.

According to a lawsuit filed by Langlinais' family this week, that notice arrived two days after the crash. Langlinais died two days later.

The lawsuit says her right carotid artery was severed and that doctors didn't find any other injuries. No autopsy was performed.

Honda, Takata's largest customer and the maker of about 20 million of the affected cars, expressed its sympathies and said it is communicating with family representatives.