The whistleblowers,
Lillie, the first whistleblower in the case, resigned from his position as a top-level engineer in 2001, after countless efforts to warn Takata executives that the company's airbags would kill motorists. Lillie resigned in protest after Takata switched to a lethal and cheaper propellant to inflate its airbags, ammonium nitrate, the same explosive compound used in the
Lillie warned high-level Takata executives, "If we go forward with this, somebody will be killed." Lillie's warnings were ignored.
Lillie handed evidence to the government showing Takata knew as early as 1999 that its airbags could be deadly. He also provided emails, designs, witness lists, and other crucial information that helped steer the criminal case.
The second whistleblower to step forward helped prove Takata falsified data, subverted testing procedures, and concealed reports its airbags were prone to failure. He then recounted how Takata systematically terminated employees who objected to the fraudulent production practices. Ultimately, Takata admitted to blatant manipulation of the lot-acceptance-testing process, the very conduct the second whistleblower reported.
After Congressional hearings on Takata, Senator
The whistleblowers in this case are represented by Constantine Cannon attorneys Wayne T. Lamprey,
"Takata essentially installed 100 million ticking time bombs in the steering wheels and glove compartments of millions of cars," said Lamprey, a
"Whistleblowers from the world's leading countries for car manufacturing –
"Whistleblower-reward programs are immensely valuable because they shine a light on corporate white-collar crimes, but we can't expect whistleblowers to step up until they know the rules of the road," said
In addition to announcing the settlement, Constantine Cannon recognizes the efforts of the legislators and public servants who brought Takata to justice. These include Senators Thune and Nelson, who co-sponsored the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act, and Senator
The criminal case is
About Constantine Cannon's Whistleblower Practice:
Constantine Cannon's team of dedicated whistleblower lawyers has extensive experience representing whistleblowers in federal and state courts and before the
About Constantine Cannon LLP
Constantine Cannon, with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and London, has deep expertise in practice areas that include antitrust and complex commercial litigation, whistleblower representation, government relations, securities, and e-discovery. The firm's antitrust practice is among the largest and most well recognized in the nation. Constantine Cannon's experience spans multiple industries, including healthcare, banking, electronic payments, insurance, high tech, telecommunications, the Internet, and government contracting. To learn more about the firm generally, click here.
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