A Delaware bankruptcy judge on temporarily halted the prosecution of lawsuits filed by Hawaii, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands against Japanese auto-parts supplier Takata over its lethally defective air bag inflators.

Judge Brendan Shannon ordered the 90-day stay after hearing arguments last week on Takata's request to halt hundreds of air bag-related lawsuits while it works on a reorganization plan. Takata sought a six-month halt to various lawsuits while it proceeds with its restructuring efforts, which include the planned sale of most of its assets to a Chinese-owned rival for $1.6 billion.

Shannon also granted Takata's request to temporarily halt individual lawsuits against automobile manufacturers who installed the faulty air bags but, again, only for 90 days. He refused, however, to extend that ruling to scores of lawsuits consolidated in a federal multi-district litigation case in Miami.