Airbag Deployment Injuries

Legal Representation for Accident Victims

When an airbag deploys during a crash, it is supposed to provide cushioning and support that protect you from serious injuries. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Airbags can actually cause serious injuries in some cases, and some airbag deployment injuries can have life-altering effects.

If you have been seriously injured due to an airbag’s deployment, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Various issues can cause airbag deployment injuries, and manufacturers can be held liable for these issues in many cases. We handle all types of airbag injury claims on behalf of accident victims and their families. Airbag injury lawyer, David P. Willis is a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer since 1988 and has been representing injured clients against product makers and the automobile manufacturers for 40+ years.

How an Airbag’s Deployment Can Cause Injuries

Despite their purpose, airbags can cause injuries in various ways when they deploy during a collision. In all cases, airbag deployment injuries can potentially entitle drivers and passengers to financial compensation. For example, some of the most common causes of injuries for which drivers and passengers can seek just compensation include:

• An Airbag Deploys Too Forcefully – Airbags are designed to deploy with enough force to provide protection, but not enough to cause injuries. However, some airbags still deploy too forcefully in some cases. When this happens, drivers and passengers of all ages can suffer various types of serious injuries.
• An Airbag Deploys Too Slowly or Too Late – Drivers and passengers can also suffer injuries when their airbags deploy too slowly. If an airbag doesn’t deploy with enough force, then it won’t provide the protection a driver or passenger needs. Similarly, if an airbag deploys too late—even by a split second—this can also lead to injuries that could (and should) have been prevented.
• An Airbag Deploys When It Should Not – There are certain circumstances in which a vehicle’s airbags should not deploy. For example, many modern vehicles have switches that are supposed to turn their airbags off if a passenger is too light. If an airbag deploys when it isn’t supposed to, this can also cause serious injuries.
• A Seat Belt Fails to Provide Proper Restraint – As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains, airbags “are supplemental protection and are designed to work best in combination with seat belts.” If a seat belt fails to provide proper restraint, this can increase the force of impact between a driver or passenger and a deploying airbag.
• Another Failure Leads to Airbag Deployment Injuries – Along with airbag and seatbelt failures, a defective airbag like many manufactured by Takata and ARC Automotive can over-deploy and actually explode causing the entire airbag module to violently explode causing pieces plastic and metal components send fragments and shrapnel flying throughout the cabin and often into the upper body and faces of the occupants.

Common Airbag Deployment Injuries

Airbag deployment injuries can take many forms. As a result, after an accident involving airbag deployment, it is important to see a doctor promptly. Tell your doctor about all of your symptoms, and undergo all of the testing that is necessary to obtain a comprehensive diagnosis. Some examples of common airbag deployment injuries include:

• Arm Injuries – Airbag deployment can cause arm injuries if an airbag causes a driver’s or passenger’s arms to overextend or make impact with windows or other objects in the vehicle. Lacerations from fragments and shrapnel are common injuries as well.
• Chest Injuries – Chest injuries can also result from airbag deployment. These include collapsed lungs, broken ribs and chest wall injuries, among others.
• Concussions and Other Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) – The force of impact from a deployment airbag can be more than enough to cause a concussion or other TBI. Airbag deployment can also cause drivers and passengers to hit their heads on headrests and other parts of the vehicle.
• Eye Injuries and Blindness – Plastic Fragments, metal shrapnel, chemicals and other hazards associated with airbag deployment can cause eye injuries and blindness. While these injuries can be treated in some cases, in others they will present risks for long-term complications and disabilities.
• Facial Injuries – Along with eye injuries, airbag deployment can also cause other injuries to the face. Lacerations, nose and jaw fractures, and other facial injuries can also lead to long-term (and expensive) complications.

Protecting Your Legal Rights After an Airbag Deployment Injury

If you have suffered airbag deployment injuries in an accident, protecting your legal rights is the first step toward recovering the financial compensation you deserve. To help make sure your attorney can file a successful claim on your behalf, you should:

1. Get Treatment for Your Airbag Deployment Injuries

As we mentioned above, you should see a doctor promptly after suffering airbag-related injuries in a vehicle collision. Not only is this important for your health, but it is also important for protecting your legal rights.

2. Document Your Accident and Injuries

When seeking financial compensation for airbag-related injuries, the more documentation you have, the better. With this in mind, you should take detailed notes about the accident (to the extent you can remember), and you should be sure to keep your medical records and any other documents you receive. Further, taking pictures of the bruises, lacerations and other injuries is essential later, to prove the extent and location of the injuries.

3. Document Your Costs

Along with documenting your accident and injuries, you should also document your costs. Be sure to keep your medical bills and repair estimates, and keep your receipts for any medical supplies, prescriptions and other relevant purchases.

4. Document Your Injuries’ Non-Financial Impacts

If you have a claim for an airbag-related injury, you may be entitled to compensation for the non-financial impacts of your injury as well. With this in mind, you should also take notes to document your pain, suffering, and any other day-to-day changes.

5. Talk to a Lawyer Promptly

One of the most important things you can do to protect your legal rights is to talk to a lawyer promptly. Once you hire a lawyer, your lawyer can explain everything you need to know, and your lawyer can take legal action on your behalf.

Contact Us for a Free, No-Obligation Consultation

Do you have a claim for an airbag deployment injury? To find out, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. Give us a call or contact us online to schedule an appointment today.