Hyderabad: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has held BMW accountable for manufacturing defects as airbags didn’t deploy during the accident.
The complainant, Shriram Shimha Teja, who is the CEO of Cyber Hat Solutions and owns a BMW 3 Series GT with AT BSIV, met with the accident on March 1, 2022, in Tanjavur Taluk, Tamil Nadu. During the crash, the windshield cracked, and glass fragments entered the bodies of the two passengers in the front seats, purportedly due to the failure of the airbags to activate.
BMW countered the accusations and stated that in the event of an accident, the vehicle’s body structure would absorb the most impact, resulting in deformation. During the collision, the minimal threshold limit needed for airbag deployment was not met.
BMW added that the crumple zone was intended to absorb the impact of the collision and secure the passenger compartment and any occupants who were in the car at the time of the incident. Additionally, BMW India said that the seat belt, which was the primary safety system, had provided sufficient protection; therefore, the deployment of airbags was not necessary.
Given the circumstances of the incident, the State Commission based its determination of the manufacturer’s accountability for the airbag system flaw on the Latin principle of Res Ipsa Loquitur, which means “the thing speaks for itself.”
BMW India was sentenced to pay Rs 1 lakh for mental suffering compensation and Rs 25 thousand for fees by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
