Faulty air bags supplied by Takata Corp have been linked to another injury involving a Honda Motor Co car in Florida in March.
A 2003 model Honda Civic's airbag exploded and a piece of metal shot out from the bag into the driver's neck, according to police and hospital reports.
The shrapnel was removed after an emergency surgery, hospital records showed. The report said "an airbag deployed sending foreign body toward patient."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has not yet been confirmed that the accident involved an airbag rupture.
"If it is confirmed that this is another rupture, then it would simply reinforce the reasons that we are working so hard to get these air bags remedied as quickly as we can," NHTSA communications director Gordon Trowbridge said.
Honda has already set up an inspection for Monday, said the victim's lawyer, Jason Turchin. He said a lawsuit will be filed soon after.
"Honda is working with representatives of the vehicle's owner to inspect the vehicle and determine whether a rupture of the airbag inflator occurred in this crash. Until this determination has been made, Honda will have no further comment," said Honda spokesman Chris Martin.
Honda said on March 19 it would add more than 100,000 vehicles to a U.S. recall related to potentially defective airbags made by Takata that can deploy with too much force and spray occupants with metal shards.
"We will work in close collaboration with Honda to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the situation," Takata said in an email to Reuters.
Turchin said his client received a recall notice more than 10 days after the accident.
Six deaths have been linked to the problem so far, all involving Honda cars.
About 25 million vehicles with Takata airbags have been recalled worldwide since 2008.
