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Japanese Company Faces Fines For Not Cooperating In Airbag Investigation

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Takata, the Japanese company accused of making faulty airbags that blinded a woman in Minnesota, is facing a $14,000 fine for each day it didn't cooperate in a U.S. government investigation.

There were several recorded instances of the faulty airbags deploying while the car is running, even when there hasn't been a crash.

At least six people died in incidents linked to the company's faulty airbags, and dozens more injured, including a woman from Minnesota. Shashi Chopra of North Oaks is now blind from an accident in 2013 when the passenger airbag in the family's BMW, driven by her husband, exploded.

The injuries stem from the force of the airbag explosion as well as the metal shrapnel that is often released in the process.

Takata has resisted recalling its airbags, although many automakers have recalled the products themselves.

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