All You Need to Know about Airbags
Like seatbelts that prevent injuries and fatalities in accidents, airbag systems are now standard equipment in automobiles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 1987 and 2008, frontal airbag systems alone saved 25,782 lives in car accidents. Airbags, however, are a supplemental safety technology, and are meant to be used in combination with seatbelts.
In other words, your airbags are most likely to help reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities in an accident when you are also wearing a seatbelt at the same time. Read on to learn how airbags work and how they can prevent injuries in the event of an accident.
Of course, some airbags may come with defects that cause them to deploy inappropriately or fail to deploy at all, which can lead to serious injuries.
How do airbags work to prevent injuries in an accident?
During impact, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, persons who are not wearing a seatbelt may be thrown against the interior of the car, and may suffer injuries. Persons who are wearing seatbelts may remain restrained in their seats.
However, when the person is protected by an airbag, he enjoys enhanced protection. Airbags reduce the chance that the head and upper torso will come into contact with the interior of the vehicle.
Frontal airbags incorporate crash sensors that identify deceleration in the speed of the car, which corresponds to the speed of airbag deployment. The technology is designed so that airbags do not deploy when the car hits a bumpy patch of road, or when the motorist brakes suddenly; only when the driver is in an accident. Unfortunately, in some cases the airbags do not deploy or deploy at inappropriate times.
When occupants suffer injuries because of airbag deployment failures or other problems, extensive investigations are required to identify whether the airbag systems contained a defect. If you suffered injuries in an accident involving defective airbags, speak with an lawyer about your case. You are likely eligible for compensation.
How can I tell whether i have an defective airbag case?
There are several different types of airbag defects that can cause injury to occupants of a car.
The main types of airbag defects are:
- deployment failure (in such cases, the airbag may not deploy at all);
- airbag design defects (these can cause an oversized airbag to come into contact with the passenger’s head, face and upper torso causing injuries);
- unnecessary airbag deployment (in these cases, the airbag deploys even in minor accidents, causing injuries to passengers); and
- inadequate deployment (in in this case, the airbag does not inflate appropriately, failing to protect occupants).
If you have suffered accident-related injuries because of airbag failure, you may have a case for compensation recovery. Most airbag defects are the result of poor design or problems in the manufacturing or production processes. For instance, an oversized airbag that actually causes injuries instead of protecting you is typically the result of faulty design.
Auto manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that all components in the automobile, including the airbag systems, are designed to the highest standards and protect occupants from injuries. Apart from the auto manufacturer, the airbag manufacturer can also be liable in a case seeking compensation.
These claims are filed under product liability law, and involve complex legal issues. Speak with a lawyer with knowledge of product liability law and who can help accident victims recover compensation in airbag defect cases. Call 800-LAW-1222 (529-1222) to speak with Rob Levine, the Heavy Hitter ®, today.
