The Takata airbag fitted to Citroën C3 and DS3 vehicles presents a very real risk for thousands of motorists who can no longer use their vehicle at all. Montpellier lawyer David Guyon has just launched a nationwide collective action against the Stellantis automobile group.
The equipment manufacturer Takata is involved in a scandal that could have led to the deaths of several people between 2009 and 2016. The problem is that the Japanese manufacturer filed for bankruptcy in 2017. And it disappeared. The cause was a “killer airbag”, as described by Montpellier lawyer David Guyon, who is currently launching a class action against Citroën and the various manufacturers concerned.
More than 300 people have already responded to his call, “and around fifty files are being compiled”.
In France, Citroën has recalled several models to replace dangerous parts. The recall campaign on vehicles manufactured between 2009 and 2019 concerned nearly 250,000 Citroën C3 and DS 3 in France alone. “But we don’t know the exact figure yet. And whether Takata is involved in other brands.”
Mutualization of legal costs
This collective action aims “to pool legal costs and allow as many Citroën customers as possible to benefit from compensation”, the lawyer says. The aim is to hold the Stellantis automobile group, including Peugeot Citroën Opel, responsible for its defective products.
If triggered, the degradation of the gases contained in the airbags leads to small pieces of metal being propelled towards the face at over 300 km/h, “which could, but a criminal investigation is underway, have led to the death of around twenty people in France”, explains David Guyon.
Heavy economic consequences
Criminal proceedings have already been initiated in Toulouse, through a class action. “Its objective is to convict criminally, but not to compensate the victims”which is what Maître Guyon wants to do before the judicial court.
In his line of sight, “the heavy economic consequences borne by drivers, who sometimes have a professional activity linked to their vehicle, and the duty to keep it insured for example, even if they are prohibited from driving”.
As of June 24, nearly 22,000 airbags were repaired in France. The company announced that it would double its airbag production capacity from August, with 14,500 airbags delivered per week.
We will come back in the coming days on the evolution of this collective action.
