Executives from Japan's Takata Corp faced tough questio" />
Executives from Japan's Takata Corp faced tough questio"/>

Takata offers "sincerest condolences" to victims of malfunctioning airbag

2014-11-20 16

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

Executives from Japan's Takata Corp faced tough questions from U.S. senators on Thursday (November 20) over the risk of millions of potentially defective air bags that can rupture upon deployment, shooting metal shards into cars.

Stephanie Erdman testified before lawmakers that she was injured by a defective Takata airbag. "When the impact occurred, shrapnel from my car's airbag shot through the airbag cloth and embedded in my right eye and cheek. I was instantly blinded on my right side. I felt gushing blood running down my neck. I was terrified. When I got to the hospital, they did a CT scan of my face. The image showed there was a metallic foreign object which had punctured and fractured my right nasal bone and the tip of the shrapnel had embedded in my right sinus. Since that day I have endured multiple surgeries and therapies. I have more to go still. My vision will never be the same. I will never be the same," Erdman said in emotion