Airbag Injuries & Defective Airbags in Texas: The Basics

Airbags are installed to protect a person by keeping the body in one place in the event of a car crash. Defective airbags in Texas can sometimes lead to physical injuries. Airbags fitted in cars have proved to help prevent serious injuries. In the majority of the cases, airbags and seatbelts tend to save lives in car crashes. However, manufacturing defects and malpractices can lead to serious injuries and even death.

If you have experienced any similar injury and you are worried about your legal options, you should consult a product liability attorney.

Defective Airbags in Texas; Who to Consult If Your Airbags Didn’t Deploy in an Accident?

An airbag injury may vary greatly depending upon each case and the circumstances of the accident. Defective airbags in Texas can cost you your life. You may suffer from serious injuries if your airbags didn’t deploy during the accident. The financial burden and medical cost along with emotional trauma become overwhelming. It is always better to consult a product liability attorney. They can critically review each piece of evidence and determine the main cause of the accident.

It is also vital to understand the functioning of airbags to hold the responsible party liable for the damages. Airbags functions with a seatbelt and they are not the only precaution for the safety of people in an accident. For airbags to operate effectively there is a certain speed limit that must have been attained by the vehicle. The speed requirement for airbags varies according to the make and model of each vehicle.

Multiple initiatives have been taken to protect the life of people involved in a car crash. Technology innovations have been introduced in vehicles to ensure safety even when the vehicle collides with another.

In a similar attempt, 67 million airbags from Takata were recalled due to defects. These defects were serious enough to cause severe injuries or death from airbag explosion.

How do Airbags Provide Safety?

The front airbags are for the driver and passenger. They are deployed in case of a head-on or frontal collision. They protect the passenger and driver from hitting any hard object such as the steering wheel, windshield, or dashboard. If a person hits the steering wheel with pressure they may suffer severe injuries.

The driver’s airbag is placed in the steering wheel whereas the passenger’s airbag is fixed in the dashboard. In certain vehicles, the airbags are activated after analyzing the weight in the passenger seat. It could be possible that someone is carrying a child in the front seat. In this situation deploying airbags could become life-threatening.

If your car is rolled over or the sides of the car are impacted during the collision then side airbags operate. They are installed in the door or on the sides of the seat. Frontal airbags are mandatory by law, whereas side airbags are not necessarily provided by all vehicle manufacturers.

The sensors in your car determine an accident. Once triggered, they initiate the deployment of airbags. A chemical reaction is produced which releases gas to inflate the airbag.

The driver-side airbags are inflated with 20-30 milliseconds whereas passenger-side airbags are inflated within 30-40 milliseconds. The frontal airbag deflates when they come in contact with the head. The impact softens whereas the side airbags remain inflated for a longer time.

Defective Airbags & Injuries:

Significantly, the airbag system must operate accurately and precisely in a short time. The following defects are common that can lead to failure in the system thus resulting in injuries:

• Airbags deploying at the wrong time
• Delayed deployment of Airbags
• Airbags that don’t deploy altogether
• Other malfunctions such as failure to deflate, deployed with intense force among others

Various injuries could result even from properly functioning airbags. Usually, airbags are operated in serious accidents. The sudden impact and explosion of airbags can cause blindness, loss of hearing, broken bones, and bruises.

However, most injuries result from the malfunctioning of airbags. These may include:

• Fractured bones in chest, limbs, or face
• Spinal cord damages
• Paralysis
• Internal bleeding and bruising
• Damages to organs
• Traumatic brain injuries

Get in Touch With Us:

It is important to seek medical care immediately after such an accident. The manufacturers can be held accountable for design defects, breaches in warranty, warning defects, express, and implied warranty. If you faced a tragic incident due to the negligence of another person or product malfunction like defective airbags in Texas, you should consult our experienced product liability attorney. Years of practice allow us to handle your precise legal requirements effectively while you focus on your healing journey.