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Louisiana Woman's Death May Be 7th From Recalled Takata Airbags

Visitors walk past displays of Japanese auto parts maker Takata Corp. at a car showroom in Tokyo on Nov. 11, 2014.
Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images

June 11, 2015, 11:56 AM

 -- A Louisiana woman could be the seventh person killed by a defective Takata airbag.

Kylan Rae Langlinais, 22, died at a hospital April 9, four and a half days after the 2005 Honda Accord she was driving crashed into a utility pole, according to a lawsuit filed by the family in Louisiana federal court Monday.

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“During the course of that collision, Mrs. Langlinais’ occupant protection safety system, including her driver’s side airbag system, failed to perform in a reasonably safe manner,” the complaint reads.

The lawsuit states that a recall of the vehicle and airbag was received by mail April 7, two days after her accident and two days before her death.

The airbag system “violently exploded” and sent metal shrapnel and other foreign material into the passenger compartment of the car, the lawsuit states. As a result, she sustained a penetrating injury to the right side of her neck, causing immediate and profuse loss of blood, according to the lawsuit.

The defendants are listed as Honda Motor Company Ltd., American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Honda R&D Co. Ltd., Honda of America Mfg. Inc., Takata Corp., TK Holdings Inc. and Highland Industries Inc., which is part of Takata.

Honda was recently notified about the crash and says the crash may have resulted in the rupture of the Takata driver front airbag inflator.

“Honda was recently notified of the crash of a 2005 Honda Civic in Louisiana on April 5, 2015 that later resulted in the death of the driver. The crash may have resulted in the rupture of the Takata driver front airbag inflator,” Honda said in a statement to ABC News. “Honda is now in communication with representatives of the family in an effort to gather further information in order to better understand the situation.”

Takata declined to comment.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is aware of the case and is in the process of gathering information from the manufacturer and the attorney who is representing the family, the agency told ABC News.

The NHTSA says it is evaluating the information as quickly as possible.

The attorney representing the family did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The family is asking for damages that include past medical expenses, past physical pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, wrongful death and funeral expenses.

Takata airbags have been linked to six deaths and more than 100 injuries, The Associated Press reported last week.