Car crashes often lead to airbag deployment in your vehicle. Airbags are designed to be life-saving devices, deploying in a fraction of a second to cushion you during a collision. However, the force and speed of airbag deployment, combined with potential defects, can sometimes lead to serious injuries. Having helped hundreds of injured clients at MG Law, we’ve seen firsthand how those protective devices can sometimes cause injuries.
If you were injured by an airbag’s deployment in an accident, or suspect a defective airbag, contact us today (770) 988-5252 or through our contact form.
Based on our experience working cases involving major car and truck crashes, there are four types of injuries that we routinely see. Let’s take a closer look.
Common Injuries from Airbags During a Car Accident
Facial Injuries
One of the most common injuries from an airbag is facial injuries. Due to seat positioning and height, a person’s face often comes into contact with the airbag first, which prevents your head and face from hitting the dashboard and windshield.
Understanding why airbags can hurt your face starts with how they work. Airbags deploy in a matter of milliseconds after a crash sensor detects a sudden impact. These sensors send a signal to the airbag’s igniter, which rapidly produces gas, inflating the bag almost instantly. While this swift inflation is designed to protect you, the force behind it can be substantial, especially if you are sitting too close or happen to move forward just before the crash.
Because of this rapid expansion, our clients have suffered facial injuries ranging from abrasions and lacerations to more severe trauma like broken noses, fractured facial bones, or even eye injuries. The skin on your face is delicate, and the sheer velocity at which an airbag inflates can cause bruising, burns, or even temporary or permanent disfigurement.
Chest Injuries
For many of our car crash clients, their chest takes the brunt of the airbag force, leading to broken ribs, bruising, dislocated shoulders, sternum damage, cardiac injury, and other soft tissue damage. The airbag can quite literally knock the wind out of you and cause substantial chest pain and injury.
Burn Injuries
Often, people do not realize that airbags can cause significant burn injuries. This can happen for two reasons: from the sheer force and impact or the chemicals used in its deployment. Airbags are typically deployed using sodium hydroxide and aerosol. These chemicals can lead to thermal and friction burns when coming into contact with your skin.
A defective airbag can increase the likelihood of sustaining a severe burn.
In Content Form
Neck, Back, & Spine Injuries
The force of the airbag deployment can cause whiplash and other neck, back, and spine injuries. When hit by the airbag, it can cause your neck and spine to move unnaturally or in opposite directions, leading to strains, sprains, and fractures. Often, these injuries are chronic and require continued extensive medical treatment.
In addition to these four devastating injuries you could suffer from an airbag, there are many others, including:
- Trauma to the face and head,
- Bruising,
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries,
- Lacerations and abrasions,
- Fractures,
- Spinal injuries,
- Internal bleeding,
- Respiratory injuries such as asthma from inhaling the chemicals,
- Cardiac injuries,
- Soft tissue damage,
- Harm to your eye socket,
- Loss of hearing or sight, and
- Musculoskeletal damage
Other often unforeseen side effects of airbag deployment can be the emotional and mental trauma you endure because of the catastrophic crash and injuries.
Airbag Defects and Malfunctions
Airbags are intricate devices, and like any technology, they have their issues. Manufacturing defects such as flaws in materials or production can compromise their effectiveness. You might remember the Takata airbag recall, which was the largest car related safety recall in history. Those airbags were defective and could explode, spraying the driver or other passengers with shrapnel.
Malfunctioning crash sensors may also cause airbags to deploy unexpectedly, even in minor collisions, or fail to deploy when you need them most. Overly aggressive deployment, where the airbag inflates too rapidly, can increase the risk of burns and other injuries.
Staying aware of these potential pitfalls and ensuring your vehicle’s safety systems are regularly checked can help reduce the risk of serious airbag injuries.
Why Might an Airbag Fail to Deploy in a Car Accident?
While airbags are designed to offer vital protection during collisions, there are several reasons why they may not deploy when you expect them to.
Most modern vehicles rely on complex sensors to determine whether an airbag should inflate. If the crash is considered too minor, often defined by specific speed thresholds or the angle of impact, the sensors may not trigger the airbag at all. In low speed fender benders or impacts at unusual angles, the system may not see enough force to justify inflation of the airbag.
Airbags can also fail due to manufacturing defects or faulty wiring. A defect in the airbag module or the sensors responsible for deployment can result in the airbag not activating even during a severe crash.
It’s important to note that airbags are generally designed to protect occupants in moderate to severe frontal collisions. Accidents involving side or rear impacts may not trigger front airbags, as the sensors are often calibrated differently for those scenarios.
If your airbag did not deploy in a recent accident, and you suffered injuries as a result, you may have a claim against the manufacturer or another responsible party.
Why Prompt Medical Attention Matters After Airbag Deployment
After the sudden force of an airbag deployment, it’s easy to focus on what you can see and feel right away: cuts, bruises, or breathing difficulties. However, not all injuries show up immediately after a car crash. Seeking prompt medical attention serves several crucial purposes:
- Detection of Hidden Injuries: Some airbag-related injuries, like internal bleeding, soft tissue trauma, or concussions, can remain hidden for hours, even days. A medical professional can run the necessary tests to identify these issues before they worsen.
- Documentation for Recovery and Claims: Timely medical records are valuable in establishing the cause and extent of your injuries, which can greatly impact any insurance or legal claim you may need to file.
- Preventing Complications: Early intervention can prevent minor problems from becoming chronic pain issues or life-altering conditions. Untreated spinal injuries or internal trauma may lead to lasting complications if not addressed quickly.
- Peace of Mind and Recovery Planning: Whether you’re dealing with visible injuries or lingering aches, a thorough medical evaluation gives you the information and plan you need to heal properly.
It’s also important to remember that some symptoms, such as headaches, neck stiffness, or chest pain, may not show up until days after the accident. This delayed onset is common with injuries from airbag deployment and is yet another reason not to delay seeking care.
Taking action quickly isn’t just about healing faster, it’s about protecting your future health and your legal rights. If you suspect you may have been injured by an airbag, make seeing a doctor your top priority.
How Do You Prevent Airbag Injuries in a Car Accident?
Watch this video from the IIHS: Avoiding Airbag Injuries
Airbag injuries are often unavoidable and can happen even in the safest vehicles while taking all necessary safety precautions. However, you can take two significant steps to decrease your chance of being harmed by the airbag deployment during a motor vehicle crash:
- Wear Your Seatbelt. Your seatbelt will help keep your body restrained in place so the airbag hits you where it is intended. Using your seatbelt with the airbags is the best way to avoid the most severe injuries during a collision.
- Seat Positioning. You should always position your seat as far back from the steering wheel or dashboard as possible. This ensures the most minor force when the airbag makes contact with you.
In addition, it is essential to ensure that children ride in the backseat and car seats as directed by the specific manufacturer.
Georgia Lawyers Helping Those with Airbag Deployment Injuries
At MG Law, we are seasoned car accident attorneys with experience in airbag injury cases. Contact us for a free consultation online or call us at (770) 988-5252 to discuss your options for recovery.
Amer Ahmad is a former insurance defense lawyer who puts his knowledge of the insurance companies’ playbook to work for his clients. His practice includes helping families in wrongful death cases and individuals seriously injured by motor vehicle accidents, negligently maintained premises, and defective products. Amer has litigated hundreds of serious injury claims and taken numerous cases to jury verdict in Georgia courts.