You can receive compensation for injuries caused by an airbag deployment. Depending on the details of your airbag-related injuries, you may get money from the airbag manufacturer, vehicle manufacturer, those who caused your accident, or another liable party.
Determining fault for airbag injuries can be complicated, and getting fair compensation can be even more difficult. With a capable personal injury or product liability lawyer leading your case, you can fight for the financial award you deserve.
What Is the Purpose of Airbags in Motor Vehicles?
When a car suffers a severe enough impact, one or more airbags may deploy. As the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety explains, most of today’s vehicles have airbags in the front and side panels alongside the front driver and passenger seats.
Depending on where the airbags are located in a vehicle, they may:
- Prevent the driver and passenger from colliding with one another
- Prevent the driver from striking their head on the steering wheel or window
- Prevent the passenger from striking their head on the dashboard or window
- Limit the overall movement of motor vehicle accident victims, hopefully reducing the number and severity of injuries
Airbags can be lifesaving—when their design, installation, and deployment all function properly. However, airbags do not always work as they should. In these cases, an airbag can become a danger in its own right.
When Do Airbag Accidents Cause Injuries?
Airbags can become dangerous when:
- Manufacturers produce a defective airbag
- Assemblers or installers do not do their jobs properly
- The airbag contains a puncture or other structural flaw
- The sensors that deploy the airbag are faulty
- Airbag inflating mechanisms are defective
- Airbag or motor vehicle manufacturers fail to install proper warning labels
When an airbag or related component contains a defect, the airbag may:
- Deploy prematurely or randomly
- Deploy at rapid velocity, striking the vehicle occupant at an unsafe rate of speed
- Fail to deploy when an accident happens
- Deploy too late after an accident, failing to provide its protective purpose
- Release the gas that helps inflate the airbag into the vehicle, potentially burning occupants
These are some examples of the flaws and circumstances that can lead to airbag-related injuries. If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one due to airbag deployment, you could be entitled to compensation for your damages.
Injuries That Can Result From Defective Airbags
Many types of injuries can result when an airbag deploys improperly, fails to deploy, or deploys upon a driver or passenger who cannot withstand the force of its impact. Injuries known to result from defective airbags include:
Eye Injuries
Airbags can cause injuries to the eyes that require surgery or leave you with lifelong symptoms.
Fractures
Airbag-related injuries could cause fractures in the following areas:
- Facial bones
- Ribs
- Arms
- Hands
- Head area
- Neck area
Burns
The gas within airbags sometimes escapes the bag, causing vehicle occupants to suffer burns that can affect the eyes, face, hands, arms, or other parts of the body.
Internal Injuries
Research shows that defective airbags can also cause internal injuries that may be life-threatening or require surgery to repair. For instance, airbag-related injuries may affect a victim’s:
- Abdomen
- Kidneys
- Lungs
- Heart
- Other internal organs
Additional injuries may occur due to defective airbags. An attorney can consult with medical professionals to identify your injuries, monitor your symptoms, and determine the cost of your injury-related damages.
If your injuries are the result of a defective airbag, you should get fair compensation for your medical care and other losses.
Who Is Liable for Airbag-Related Injuries?
Liability for injuries caused by a defective airbag will depend on where the defect occurred during the manufacturing and installation process. Whoever designed, manufactured, or installed the defective airbag(s) could be financially responsible for your injuries and resulting damages.
I Suffered Injuries Because of an Airbag. What Should I Do Now?
If you suffered injuries during a motor vehicle accident and believe that a defective airbag may have caused those injuries, you should:
- Seek extensive medical treatment: Airbag injuries can be serious. To ensure your safety, facilitate your recovery, and document your injuries, seek extensive medical treatment. Even if you have received treatment already, consider seeing a doctor again—especially if you don’t have a clear diagnosis for airbag-related injuries.
- Hire an attorney: Once you receive treatment, hiring an attorney is your next most pressing priority. An attorney can explain your legal options, protect your rights, and work to secure the financial recovery you deserve.
Don’t wait too long to retain a law firm’s services, as most states have a filing deadline for civil court cases. For example, Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 gives victims only two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Recoverable Damages in Airbag Injury Cases
One or more injuries caused by a defective airbag could leave you with:
- Medical expenses: These costs might include emergency transportation, emergency care, medical imaging services, hospitalization, surgery, doctor visits, and other medical services.
- Pain and suffering: The aftermath of airbag injuries can cause emotional anguish, psychological distress, lost quality of life, acute or chronic pain, sleep problems, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or other types of pain and suffering.
- Professional damages: Injuries from a defective airbag may cost you income, bonuses, promotions, benefits, earning power, or job fulfillment.
You may also deserve compensation for other damages related to your airbag injuries, including vehicle repairs. An attorney from our firm can help calculate any and all damages that entitle you to compensation.
Contact Loncar Lyon Jenkins Today for a Free Consultation About Your Airbag Injury Case
An airbag injury lawyer from Loncar Lyon Jenkins can lead your personal injury or product liability case on your behalf. The circumstances behind every airbag injury are unique. You can count on our firm to answer your questions and provide the personalized legal service you need.
To learn more, contact Loncar Lyon Jenkins today for your free consultation.
