Lawyers for people injured by Takata Corp's defective air bags told a U.S. judge yesterday that there was "no basis" for an "unjust" request by the company's U.S. unit to halt hundreds of consumer lawsuits against car companies that used the air bags, Reuters reported. When the U.S. unit filed for bankruptcy in June, litigation against the unit for injuries, wrongful death, economic losses and breaches of consumer protection laws were automatically stayed. Last week, Takata's U.S. unit asked for a preliminary injunction that would halt similar lawsuits against Honda Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and other car companies that used the air bags. Halting the litigation would help Takata sell its healthy business to Key Safety Systems, which is owned by China's Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp, according to TK Holdings Inc., the U.S. unit. Funds from that $1.6 billion proposed sale will be used to compensate injured drivers, according to court papers filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.
