(Joe Skipper/Reuters)Court documents filed Monday allege that five auto companies were aware of defects that caused Takata air bags to potentially harm or kill motorists but continued to use them anyway to save on costs. Takata admitted to the Justice Department last month that its employees deliberately omitted and falsified data to make its air bags appear safer, then passed the doctored information on to automakers. But attorneys representing the victims say automakers had independent information that the air bags were faulty and chose to continue installing them in millions of vehicles, according to Monday’s filing. Honda used the air bags anyway, according to the court documents, and at least 77 air bags ruptured on the road before the company implemented a nationwide recall. Takata also filed its own court update in the civil case Monday following its guilty plea in the Justice Department investigation.

Source: Washington Post February 27, 2017 21:35 UTC