Airbags have saved thousands of lives over the years, protecting drivers and passengers from serious injuries or death – but what about when the airbag fails to deploy? All vehicles are required to have dual airbags in the front of the vehicle. The newest vehicles are also equipped with side airbags. When a collision occurs, the airbag is supposed to instantly inflate, taking only 20 to 30 milliseconds, enough time to protect a driver or passenger from impacts. As a safety feature, airbags are a top performer, but as human-made devices, could fail.
Why Didn’t the Airbag Deploy?
An airbag may fail to deploy for several reasons, including:
- Defects in the airbag sensor: Electronic sensors may fail, and fail to detect that a crash occurred, and the airbag will not deploy.
- Defective components: The electrical components in the airbag may be defective.
- Manufacturing errors: An airbag may be faulty due to errors in the manufacturing process, or quality control failures.
When an airbag fails to deploy, the injuries sustained by a driver or passenger can be far more serious, due to the lack of protection. Some of the common types of injuries sustained in these cases include:
- Facial fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries causing paralysis
- Disfiguring facial lacerations
- Permanent scars
- Organ damage
- Broken bones
Do You Have a Right to Compensation?
A claim can be filed to seek compensation for all damages to the liable parties, which could include:
- Airbag manufacturer: If an airbag fails to deploy, the airbag manufacturer may be liable for the injuries sustained in an accident. A safety product that fails to perform as it is supposed to, the car manufacturer, airbag manufacturer, or both, could be liable.
- Airbag designer: An airbag with a faulty design may allow the designer of the unit to be held liable, but in most cases, the manufacturer will also be held liable as they should have fully tested the system before installing it in their vehicles.
- Marketing company: A marketing company may be held liable in some cases, such as when an airbag is replaced (such as in a recall, or after an accident in which it deployed). If you were not supplied with instructions or a manual, you may have the right to bring a claim against the marketing firm responsible for this material.
Legal Representation in Cases of an Airbag that Fails to Deploy
These auto product liability cases are typically very complex and require the assistance of a skilled legal professional. Evidence will be required to support your claim or lawsuit. The evidence will include the details of the accident, how it occurred, and a professional evaluation of the airbag itself to determine why it failed to deploy. At The Lenahan Law Firm, we are advocates for seriously injured people, and are very confident taking on the teams of corporate defense attorneys that represent big corporations. We professionally craft our cases, and our entire team of lawyers gets involved in our cases. We are determined to help injured people achieve justice in cases in which an airbag fails to deploy that leads to serious, catastrophic, or fatal injuries.
Reach out to us today at (214) 295-1008 today for a free case evaluation.