Injuries Caused by Airbag Deployment

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, frontal airbags have saved more than 50,000 lives over 30 years. Newer vehicles also equip airbags on the sides and other locations throughout the vehicle to protect its occupants, saving more lives and preventing serious injuries.

While airbags are a vital safety invention, manufacturing defects and negligent practices involving them have also resulted in serious injuries and even death when they do not function as intended. If you were injured because of airbag deployment, contact an experienced San Antonio car accident lawyer to learn about your legal rights for financial recovery.

Types of Airbag Deployment Issues That Cause Injuries

For airbags to function correctly, they must be precise and accurate, shielding the human body from hard surfaces and the force of impact. Manufacturing defects that can lead to airbag injuries:

• Failure to deploy – If an airbag does not deploy when it should, vehicle occupants can hit the hard surfaces inside the vehicle and suffer serious injuries that airbags were designed to prevent.
• Late deployment – During a crash, the human body can jolt in different directions in a matter of seconds. An airbag is supposed to deploy within 1/20 of a second. If the airbag’s deployment is delayed, vehicle occupants can hit the steering wheel, dashboard, or window and then suffer additional injuries when the airbag does eventually deploy.
• Unintentional deployments – Airbags can suddenly inflate at the wrong time, slamming into a person’s face and obstructing the driver’s view, potentially causing an accident that can result in additional injuries.
• Malfunctions – Airbag injuries also happen when airbags fail to deflate after deploying, deploy with too much force, or deploy when a child is in the passenger seat despite controls for this not to happen.

Even when airbags work as intended, they may still cause airbag injuries. If you have been injured by a defective airbag, contact our San Antonio product liability lawyers.

Common Types of Airbag Injuries

Airbags can cause extensive injuries, including:

• Hearing loss caused by the explosion
• Blindness from hitting the airbag with too much force
• Broken bones in the face
• Broken chest, arm, or leg bones
• Asthma attacks from chemicals released during deployment
• Traumatic brain injuries when the airbag fails to deploy and the occupant hits their head on a hard surface
• Internal bleeding and internal organ damage
• Lung and chest injuries
• Neck injuries and whiplash
• Soft tissue injuries

Who Is Responsible for Airbag Injuries?

You may be able to hold the negligent driver responsible for the crash and the resulting airbag injuries. Through a personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and other losses.

An experienced San Antonio injury attorney can also review your case to determine if you have a viable product liability claim against the vehicle or airbag manufacturer. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and work as intended to avoid injuries.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation to Discuss Your Airbag Injury Claim

Learn more about your legal rights and options when you contact The Aguirre Law Firm, PLLC for a free consultation. You can contact us online or call us at (210) 526-0759 today to get started.