--- title: "$3M Verdict in Takata Airbag Injury Case in Florida" meta: "og:description": "Jose Hernandez wins $3,000,000 in a Miami lawsuit after a Takata airbag explosion caused permanent injuries. Jury finds liability and awards major damages." "og:title": "$3M Verdict in Takata Airbag Injury Case in Florida" description: "Jose Hernandez wins $3,000,000 in a Miami lawsuit after a Takata airbag explosion caused permanent injuries. Jury finds liability and awards major damages." --- November 26, 2025 # **$3M Verdict in Takata Airbag Injury Case in Florida** Jose Hernandez wins $3,000,000 in a Miami lawsuit after a Takata airbag explosion caused permanent injuries. Jury finds liability and awards major damages. [**Personal Injury**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida/jury-verdict/category/personal-injury) [**Products Liability**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida/jury-verdict/category/products-liability) ### **Outline** Author ![](https://media.jurimatic.com/cdn-cgi/image/q=70/profile_images/shared_image_1.webp) **Sohini Chakraborty****Sohini Chakraborty is a lawyer, with over two years of experience in legal research and analysis. She specializes in working closely with expert witnesses, offering critical support in preparing legal research and detailed case studies.** ![Article Image](https://media.jurimatic.com/cdn-cgi/image/q=70/images/Jose_Hernandez1.webp) In the Florida case Jose Hernandez vs. PSAN PI/WD Trust (Case No. 2022-023625-CA-01), the Plaintiff alleged life-changing injuries after a defective Takata airbag inflator in his 2005 Honda Civic violently ruptured during a minor collision on December 13, 2020. The inflator exploded with excessive force, sending metal fragments into the vehicle cabin, including a large, sharp metal piece that pierced Mr. Hernandez’s right arm, causing permanent disability, disfigurement, and chronic pain. Mr. Hernandez filed suit in December 2022 against both the Takata compensation trust and the Miami-based Honda dealership involved with the vehicle. He sought damages for medical bills, lost earning ability, and significant non-economic losses such as lifelong pain, disability, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. After hearing extensive testimony and reviewing expert evidence regarding the defect and the severity of the injuries, the jury returned a verdict on May 1, 2025, siding with the Plaintiff. The jury awarded a total of $3,000,000 in non-economic damages, allocating $2,500,000 for past suffering and $500,000 for future suffering, recognizing the irreversible impact of the airbag failure on the Plaintiff’s daily life and physical abilities. The verdict reflects the ongoing legal fallout from one of the largest defective safety product scandals in automotive history and underscores accountability for manufacturers and distributors when safety mechanisms fail catastrophically. ## **Case Background** This civil action began on December 13, 2022, when Plaintiff Jose Hernandez sued two Defendants: the PSAN PI/WD Trust, which manages the compensation fund for the fallout from the failed Takata airbags, and Braman Imports, Inc., doing business as Braman Honda, the authorized Honda dealer. The case arose from a horrific incident that occurred two years earlier, on December 13, 2020, in Miami, Florida. Mr. Hernandez, driving his 2005 Honda Civic Coupe, was involved in a minor collision when the car's defective driver-side Takata airbag unexpectedly ruptured. The core of the legal action focused on the severe, life-altering injuries Mr. Hernandez sustained when the faulty airbag inflator exploded. ### **Cause** The direct cause of Mr. Hernandez’s severe injury was the catastrophic failure of the defective Takata airbag inflator module. During a relatively minor car crash, the inflator, which contained unstable chemical propellants, detonated with excessive force. This explosion caused the metal housing of the inflator a critical safety component to fragment. Instead of deploying a protective cushion, the airbag system became a weapon, shooting metal shrapnel and fragments into the vehicle's interior. ### **Injury** Mr. Hernandez suffered severe and permanent injuries when the exploding inflator module sent metal fragments into his body. Specifically, a large, "batwing-shaped" fragment from the inflator violently impaled his right arm. This incident caused severe physical impairment, disfigurement, and disability, requiring extensive medical care and resulting in chronic pain and mental anguish. The injuries Mr. Hernandez sustained were life-altering, permanently damaging his capacity for the enjoyment of life. ### **Damages Sought** Mr. Hernandez sought a judgment against both the Takata Airbag Trust and the Honda dealership to recover all damages available under Florida law. The requested compensation included economic losses, covering past and future expenses for hospitalization, medical care, nursing care, and treatment, as well as past and future loss of earnings and working capacity. Crucially, he also sought extensive non-economic damages to account for the permanent pain, suffering, disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life that the airbag incident had inflicted upon him. ## **Key Arguments and Proceedings** The case, centered on product liability and negligence, involved two separate entities that bore responsibility for the defective product: the entity managing the consequences of the product failure (The Trust) and the entity responsible for distributing the vehicle (The Dealer). ### **Legal Representation** **Plaintiff(s):** Jose Hernandez · **Counsel for Plaintiff(s):** Andrew Parker Felix | Steven E. Nauman | Branden Weber | Christian M Leger | Brian Kenneth Mcclain | Kristopher Bonham | T Michael Morgan | Keith R Mitnik · **Experts for Plaintiff(s):** [Harold Blomquist](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Harold%20(Harry)-Blomquist/1564135) | [Stephanie Bonin](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Stephanie-Bonin/1531264) | [Perry L. Ponder](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Perry-Ponder/1540778) | [James Fletcher](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/James-Fletcher/1548680) | [Paul Buechel](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Paul-Buechel/1562182) | [Frederick A. Raffa](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Frederick-Raffa/1511743) | [William A. Williams](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/William-Williams/1531734) | [Robert Renz](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Robert-Renz/1549567) | [Craig H. Lichtblau](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Craig-Lichtblau/1510896) **Defendant(s):** PSAN PI/WD Trust d/b/a THE TAKATA AIRBAG TORT COMPENSATION FUND | Braman Imports, Inc. d/b/a BRAMAN HONDA · **Counsel for Defendant(s):** Todd R. Ehrenreich | Troy P. Cunningham | David L. Luck · **Experts for Defendant(s):** [Lewis Eastlick](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Lewis-Eastlick/1524890) | [Michael Shahnasarian](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Michael-Shahnasarian/1514140) ## **Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel** ### **Claims** Counsel for Mr. Hernandez established that the defective Takata airbag inflator posed an unreasonable and foreseeable danger, arguing that the Defendants were responsible for putting this dangerous, shrapnel-producing product into the stream of commerce. The claims focused on the Defendants’ liability for the physical and mental toll the defective product exacted on Mr. Hernandez. The lawsuit held the dealership, Braman Honda, accountable for distributing the vehicle that contained the known defect, and the Trust accountable for compensating victims of the systemic airbag failure. ### **Defense** The defense, led by counsel for Braman Imports, Inc., denied the allegations of liability. The dealership's legal team stated they lacked sufficient knowledge to form a belief regarding the factual allegations about the incident, denying the Plaintiff's claims where a response was required. While the Trust’s specific defenses were less detailed in the available documents, product liability defense typically included arguments asserting compliance with federal safety standards at the time of manufacture, disputing the severity of the injury, or challenging the causal link between the product and the extent of the Plaintiff's damages. Despite these denials, the core issue of the Takata failure was widely known, focusing the trial on the extent of Mr. Hernandez’s injury rather than the existence of the defect itself. ### **Jury Verdict** The jury, having heard the evidence concerning the catastrophic airbag failure and the resulting life-altering injury, delivered a decisive verdict on May 1, 2025, in favor of Plaintiff Jose Hernandez. The jury rejected the defense's attempts to minimize the injury or deflect responsibility, focusing instead on compensating Mr. Hernandez for the pain and suffering he endured and would continue to face. The jury specifically addressed the non-economic damages for the entirety of Mr. Hernandez’s life, acknowledging the profound impact the injury had on his well-being. The total amount awarded represented the jury’s calculation of what adequately compensated him for the pain and suffering, disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience, and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life stemming from the December 13, 2020, incident. **Damages Awarded for Pain and Suffering** The jury on 1st May 2025, awarded a total of $3,000,000 to Jose Hernandez for non-economic damages, separating the award into past and future suffering: - Past Damages: The jury awarded $2,500,000.00 for the pain, suffering, and impairment Mr. Hernandez endured from the time of the incident up to the date of the verdict. - Future Damages: The jury awarded $50,000.00 for the pain, suffering, and impairment Mr. Hernandez would experience for the remainder of his life. The sum of these awards resulted in a total jury verdict of $3,000,000 in compensatory non-economic damages for Mr. Hernandez. ### **Court Documents** [Complaint](https://exlitem.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/ContentMarketing/IQA13d-sREzzQpPkjbC_jdM1ARAo9Jh2zCk0MwWPG1-lhuo?e=VZD3j9) [Jury Verdict](https://exlitem.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/ContentMarketing/IQD5PUdgMo-GS4rCK20LQAm6AdLuDXS8i8s5q-LzhlWrktI?e=1LWyBy) [Share with Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida) [Share with X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida&text=x) [Share with LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida) [Share with Email](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida/mailto:?body=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida&subject=email) [Share with WhatsApp](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida%20whatsapp) ### **Find your next Expert Witness today** ![Sanjay Adhia](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **Sanjay Adhia** Forensic Psychiastry ![George Reis](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **George Reis** Forensic Imaging ![Maria Babinetz](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/3m-verdict-in-takata-airbag-injury-case-in-florida/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **Maria Babinetz** Vocational Rehabilitation Find and retain experts without brokerage or upcharge. ### Looking for more? 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