If Airbags do not deploy in a car accident, is the car company liable?

Every year, thousands involved in card accidents are permanently disabled or seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents. As a result, car makers and manufacturers have worked for decades to develop and adhere to the strongest safety guidelines to reduce the risk of car accident injuries.

One safety featured that is required in all cars are airbags. Acting as a cushion, the airbags keep anyone in the car from colliding with the dashboard, the windshield, the steering wheel, and other hard surfaces.This safety development has saved countless lives since they were required in cars and they have helped prevent serious injuries. Unfortunately, airbags can fail to deploy or deploy incorrectly thereby failing to prevent passengers from the injuries when they are needed most.

How do airbags work?

In most new cars there are airbags in the front on the driver’s side and passengers’ side. For most luxury vehicles, there are often side airbags in the doors as well. Generally, when a vehicle collides with another, a signal is sent to the airbag system that tells it to deploy the airbags. An inflator inside the airbag begins a chemical reaction to inflate the airbag and the airbag punches through the panel to inflate in less than a fraction of a second.

What prevents an airbag from deploying?

Although it may seem unthinkable, airbags are not designed to deploy in all accidents. In certain cases, an airbag’s deployment could cause more harm than good. For example, airbags do not go off when a person is not sitting in the seat or a child is in the seat. Some advanced vehicles have technology that senses a shorter person in the seat and turns off the airbag.

Product liability lawsuits for defective airbags

If an airbag causes bodily injury because it fails to deploy, deploys in an incorrect way, or deploys at the wrong time, the car manufacturer, airbag manufacturer, and other parties may be responsible. Most airbag lawsuits claim that the producer or manufacturer is liable for any damages because of a design defect, a manufacturing problem, or failure to warn about risks or provide adequate instructions for use. The lawsuit that is brought against them may also claim that the party was negligent. Negligence is usually defined in a product liability lawsuit as an injury that results because a party failed in a required duty of care owed to the victim.

We Are Advocates For Justice

Hekmat Law Group attorneys fight for victims of accidents can help you determine who is liable for your airbag injury and work with you to receive compensation for your injuries. Contact us today for a free consultation and to learn more about your legal rights.