Airbags Should Be Saving Lives, But They May Also Be Causing Catastrophic Injuries

The purpose of airbags in a vehicle is to guard against injury and save lives. However, in some instances, airbags cause harm when deployed.

Have you been hurt in an accident as a result of faulty airbags? If so, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other such losses. If it can be shown that your airbags caused harm due to the negligence of another party, you could potentially file a claim with said party’s insurance to pursue what you may be owed. Filing a lawsuit and seeking damages in court is also an option if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement.

How Airbags Keep You Safe

Airbags can significantly reduce your chances of being hurt in an accident when they function properly. When a vehicle is involved in a collision, sensors detect the collision and trigger the airbags to inflate in just a few milliseconds.

An inflated airbag creates a cushioned surface between an individual and a car and the hard surfaces of the vehicle. According to some research, in approximately 30% of motor vehicle accidents, airbags save lives or at least prevent serious injury.

How Airbags Can Cause Harm

There are various ways in which airbags can potentially harm someone. For example, if someone is too close to the airbag when it deploys, it can cause fractures or other such injuries.

Additionally, airbags use special chemicals that allow them to inflate very quickly. These chemicals can be quite hot. Sometimes, these chemicals burn occupants of a vehicle.

Children and the elderly may be particularly at risk of injury when an airbag deploys. Although a healthy adult may be able to withstand the impact of a quickly inflating airbag, a child or elderly person, whose body may be weaker, might be more prone to injury.

Airbags can also cause major injuries to victims of any age if a victim is in the wrong position when an airbag deploys. For example, if a person is slightly bent down at the time the airbag inflates, it can strike them in the head, potentially causing serious head or neck injuries.

Airbags also sometimes harm drivers and passengers due to manufacturing or design flaws. For instance, sensors are supposed to detect the severity of a collision to determine how forcefully an airbag should inflate and deploy. If these sensors malfunction, an airbag can deploy with excessive force.

Common Airbag Injuries

Dangerous airbags can potentially cause a range of injuries. The following are merely some of the more common types of injuries victims may sustain when airbags cause harm:

• Facial injuries
• Chest injuries
• Burns
• Fractures
• Brain injuries
• Eye injuries, as the chemical that causes an airbag to inflate may cause eye irritation
• Ear injury, with some victims experiencing hearing loss
• Internal injuries
• Respiratory issues
• Fetal injuries in pregnant women

When an airbag causes harm, a victim will likely be left facing costly medical bills. They may also be unable to work and earn an income during their recovery.

You may be able to receive compensation for such losses. How you seek it can depend on several factors.

What Happens When Airbags Cause Injuries in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a no-fault car accident state. In Massachusetts, if you’re harmed in a motor vehicle accident, you can seek compensation by filing a claim with your own insurance, even if the accident resulted from another driver’s negligence.

Your insurance might cover the cost of medical care and other losses related to your airbag injuries. However, it’s possible the amount of compensation your insurance can offer isn’t sufficient to meet your needs.

In these circumstances, you might also have the option of filing a separate claim or lawsuit against the airbag’s designers, manufacturers, or other such parties. This may be an option if your injuries are severe and evidence indicates your airbag caused harm due to a defect, design flaw, manufacturing error, or other such issue.

Be aware that proving an airbag caused harm because a designer or manufacturer was negligent may require thoroughly investigating your case. This isn’t a task you need to handle on your own. Instead, review your case with a Boston car accident and airbag accident attorney at Swartz & Swartz, P.C. A member of our team will evaluate your case and explain your legal options. If you decide to hire us, we’ll offer the aggressive representation you deserve. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at (617) 742-1900 to request a free consultation.

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If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.