Airbags Can Cause Injuries in Crashes

Although airbags have saved thousands of lives, they have also been behind serious – and even fatal – injuries. Improper deployment and airbag defects have caused life-changing vehicle occupant injuries ranging from broken bones to concussions. If you suffer an injury from an airbag in an auto accident, you may have grounds for a case against the airbag’s manufacturer. Airbag manufacturers may be liable for defects that cause serious or fatal occupant injuries, as well as for airbags that pose an unreasonable risk of harm to vehicle occupants.

Defective Airbag Injuries

A product defect is something the manufacturer or distributor did not intend for the airbag to contain, making it unreasonably dangerous for consumers. A defect can occur in an airbag’s design, marketing or manufacture. When something as important as a life-saving device contains a defect, the outcome for consumers can be fatal. In the case of defective Takata airbags, for example, at least 250 victims have suffered serious injuries and 16 have died. Airbags can experience many different types of defects that may harm consumers.

• Delayed deployment
• Failure to deploy
• Random deployment
• High-speed deployment
• Airbag explosions
• Ripped or damaged airbags
• Harmful chemicals
• Lack of proper marketing or instructions

The Takata airbag recall involves about 56 million defective airbags that could potentially explode upon deployment. This is an extreme example of an airbag defect and how it can seriously injure vehicle occupants in an accident. Even a minor defect, however, could be life-changing if it prevents the airbag from working as it should during a collision. Airbag manufacturers will be strictly liable for their defective products in most cases.

Defective airbags can cause serious injuries such as lacerations, eye injuries, shrapnel injuries, traumatic brain injuries, penetrating head injuries, chest injuries, internal organ damage, fractured ribs, lung injuries, whiplash, neck and back injuries, contusions, bruises, wrist injuries, chemical burns, and skin irritation. The most serious defective airbag cases can even cause a victim’s wrongful death. Victims and their loved ones will have grounds for claims after suffering injuries from defective airbags.

Airbag Injuries Without Defects

Even if an airbag does not contain a defect, deployment could cause injuries to a passenger in a collision. The force at which the average airbag deploys could cause injuries such as broken bones, bruising or a traumatic brain injury if the victim was sitting too close to the airbag or was not wearing a seat belt at the time of deployment. Children are especially prone to serious airbag-related injuries. Children should not sit in the front seat due to the force at which an airbag deploys. Manufacturers designed airbags for adults, not for kids. The power of an airbag could cause fatal injuries to a child passenger.

The chemicals used to initiate the fast deployment of an airbag could also cause injuries. The airbag inflates when a crash triggers a sensor, catalyzing a chain of events to deploy the airbag. The triggered sensor will produce a gas – usually nitrogen or argon – and an ignitor to instantly inflate the bag. The release of the airbag usually comes with dust mixed with chemicals, such as sodium azide or talcum powder, that could injure the passenger. Airbag chemicals can cause skin irritation, burns, eye injuries, respiratory problems and asthma attacks.

What to Do After Suffering an Airbag Injury

If a doctor concludes your injuries arose from an airbag during a car accident, you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the airbag manufacturer. An injury case centered on a defective airbag generally will not require you to prove the manufacturer’s negligence to receive compensation. Other cases, however, may require you or your attorney to prove that another airbag manufacturer would have created a safer product, placing liability for your injuries with the manufacturer in question. Speak to an attorney after suffering airbag-related injuries to explore your legal rights.