Jacksonville woman seriously injured by Takata airbag in 2014 dies

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville woman who sued Takata after she was paralyzed in a car crash has died from her injuries.

An attorney for Patricia Mincey’s family said their lawsuit is still moving forward and Mincey’s daughter, Kelly Sims, is now being named the plaintiff.

For nearly two years, Mincey relied on a ventilator to help her breathe.

She was paralyzed from a crash on the Westside in 2014.

Mincey's attorney, Ted Leopold, said the accident should have left her with minor injuries but the force of the Takata airbag crushed her spine.

“I don’t think Mrs. Mincey ever dreamt about driving a vehicle and getting involved in a minor accident that she should have walked away from and essentially being killed as a result from it,” Leopold said.

Leopold said Sims was by her mother’s side when she died.

“On her death bed as she was watching her pass, she swore to her mother that she would continue this case as vigorously as it has been in the past all the way to the future until there’s complete justice so that no other individuals will have to suffer the way that Kelly has suffered and that her mother has suffered,” Leopold said.

Sims spoke with Action News Jax in 2015 after the lawsuit was first filed.

Sims said she devoted all of her time to taking care of her mom after the accident.

"Essentially this has become my life,” Sims said in 2015. “My whole job is just getting up and being at the hospital with my mom every day."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said there are about 85 million Takata airbag inflators still left in cars that have not been recalled.

Honda was initially named in the lawsuit but the company has since settled with Mincey’s family.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Takata said, "We are saddened by the news of Patricia Mincey's death and offer our condolences to the Mincey family."

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