Who Pays for an Airbag Recall?

If your airbag has been recalled, you aren’t alone—not even close. Over the past several years, tens of millions of defective airbags have been recalled across the United States. Hopefully, you have the opportunity to get your defective airbag replaced before it harms you. If you don’t, and if you are only learning about your airbag’s recall after an accident, you will want to speak with an airbag defect lawyer about your legal rights as soon as possible.

When it comes to who pays for an airbag recall, there are two different answers depending on the circumstances involved. In this article, we cover:

• Who (or what company) pays the costs of replacing a recalled airbag?
• Who (or what company) pays the costs of serious or fatal injuries from a recalled airbag failure?

Paying the Costs of Replacing Recalled Airbags

We’ll cover the costs of replacing a recalled airbag first. Generally speaking, automakers are responsible for covering the costs of replacing recalled airbags. If your vehicle’s airbags are subject to a recall, you should be able to schedule an appointment at your local dealership to have your defective airbags replaced free of charge. Your vehicle’s manufacturer should cover:

• The cost of removing and safely disposing of the recalled airbag
• The cost of installing a new airbag
• The cost of temporary transportation (i.e., a loaner car) during the airbag replacement process

Removing and replacing an armed airbag can be dangerous, so this is not something you should try to do on your own. Additionally, if you buy and install a replacement airbag yourself, the costs you incur in buying a replacement airbag will not be covered in this scenario.

To make sure you don’t incur any costs out of pocket—and to make sure your recalled airbag is replaced safely and professionally—you should schedule an appointment at your local dealership as soon as possible. If you will need to drop off your car, truck or SUV and will need temporary transportation, you should make arrangements for this when you schedule your appointment. Dealerships only have a certain number of loaner vehicles in their inventory, and if you show up without making arrangements in advance, a loaner vehicle might not be available.

Paying the Costs of Serious or Fatal Airbag-Related Injuries

While the costs of replacing a recalled airbag can be in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, the costs of airbag-related injuries can be far greater. If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one, you could be facing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in financial losses over your lifetime. You could be facing a variety of non-financial losses as well, and these are also costs that you may be able to recover.

But, recover from who? If you have a claim for airbag-related injuries after an airbag recall, the manufacturer will be liable for your costs in this scenario as well. However, rather than scheduling an appointment at the dealership, you will need to hire an airbag defect lawyer to file a lawsuit and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Automotive manufacturers can be held liable for injuries and fatalities resulting from airbag defects under product liability laws that exist in jurisdictions throughout the United States. These laws hold companies like automotive manufacturers “strictly liable” for defects, which means that proof of negligence isn’t required. If an automaker sells a defective airbag, it is liable for the consequences—regardless of whether it knew (or even should have known) that the airbag was faulty.

Automakers that may be liable for selling defective airbags that are subject to recalls include (but are not limited to):

• Acura
• Audi
• BMW
• Buick
• Chevrolet
• Chrysler
• Dodge
• Ford
• General Motors (GMC)
• Honda
• Hyundai
• Infiniti
• Kia
• Maserati
• Mazda
• Mercedes-Benz
• Nissan
• Pontiac
• Porsche
• Tesla
• Toyota
• Volkswagen

When you hire an airbag defect lawyer to file a lawsuit for serious or fatal airbag injuries against an automotive manufacturer, your lawyer will work with you, your doctors and other experts to ensure that he or she is seeking just compensation for all of your present and future financial costs. Medical bills, prescription costs, other out-of-pocket expenses, and lost income and benefits are all costs that you can—and should—seek to recover if you have an airbag injury lawsuit.

Your lawyer will carefully calculate just compensation for your present and future non-financial costs as well. While these costs might not directly impact your financial stability, they can still impact your life in a variety of serious and important ways. Whether you are dealing with physical pain and post-traumatic stress or the emotional trauma of unexpectedly losing a loved one, you deserve to recover the maximum compensation that is available under the law.

If you believe that you may have an airbag injury lawsuit, there are some steps you should take promptly. You can run out of time to file a lawsuit if you wait too long, and even if you still technically have time to file, unnecessary delays could make it more difficult to prove your legal rights.

Most importantly, you should speak with an airbag defect lawyer. Your lawyer will be able to explain everything you need to know about asserting your legal rights and fighting to hold the auto manufacturer accountable. If you have a claim, your lawyer will also be able to get to work gathering the necessary evidence right away. Your initial consultation is completely free and confidential, and you are under no obligation to move forward.

Injured By an Airbag? Learn About Your Legal Rights from an Experienced Airbag Defect Lawyer

Our firm is committed to helping victims and families recover just compensation for serious and fatal injuries caused by recalled airbags. If you have questions about your legal rights, we strongly encourage you to schedule a free consultation today. To speak with an experienced airbag defect lawyer in confidence as soon as possible, call 866-247-2247 or tell us how we can help online now.