On Monday August 29, 2016, Mr. Glenn Wicks, Founder and Managing Director of The Wicks Group, was featured as an expert commentator in a New York Times article on the explosion of a truck carrying Takata airbag parts and other hazardous materials on a Texas roadway.
As quoted in the article, Mr. Wicks noted that at this stage in the investigation, it is not immediately clear whether any federal safety regulations were violated in Takata’s shipping of the propellant and the inflators. Given the severe nature of the truck crash, the ammonium nitrate used as an airbag propellant could have triggered an explosion by itself, with or without the inflators present.
According to the article, the massive blast, which killed one woman in her home and injured four others, demonstrates the potency of propellants used in Takata airbags. The accident comes as the airbag manufacturer struggles to cope with the largest recall in automotive safety history, in which more than 64 million airbag inflators have been recalled over defective parts.
The Wicks Group is a multi-disciplinary legal and consulting firm that provides specialized services to clients with aviation and transportation-related interests world-wide. The firm has a reputation for effective representation of consumer product manufacturers, packagers, and shippers involved with hazardous materials matters.
TWG has broad experience serving as regulatory counsel to dozens of client involved in the transportation of goods both within the United States and abroad and regularly assists private and public entities obtain permits, regulatory deviations, and special authorizations under the Federal hazmat law. For more information about TWG’s work related to Federal hazmat law and special permits, please contact Glenn Wicks (gpwicks@wicks-group.com).