Subaru Must Face Suit Tying Serious Airbag Injury to Minor Crash

A driver may proceed with claims against Subaru Corp. alleging a minor fender incident triggered her Outback’s side airbag to deploy with such force that it caused a spinal fracture in her neck, a federal court in Virginia ruled.

Rebecca Rentz James’ warranty, negligence, and failure-to-warn allegations, though not detailed, are sufficient to put Subaru and two U.S. affiliates on notice of her defect claims, Judge James P. Jones said for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

James alleges the right front fender of her 2011 Outback touched a tree as she made a sharp right ...