You count on your car’s airbags to protect you and other occupants of your vehicle if you are involved in a crash. Have you ever thought about the possibility that your car’s airbags could injure you while they are protecting you? This is something that most people don’t think about it but it is something that might happen.
The airbags in a vehicle use a chemical reaction to inflate. This only occurs after a sensor triggers the release of those chemicals, which is only supposed to happen in accidents that are certain speeds and have a specific force of impact. Unfortunately, there is a chance that the airbags will malfunction.
An airbag that malfunctions can inflate with too much force or when it wasn’t supposed to. This can lead to injuries on the face, head and upper chest area. These can range from minor irritations to serious, depending on the circumstances. Some injuries are caused by the chemicals that are used in the reaction that leads the airbag to inflate.
In some cases, people are injured even if the airbag does inflate properly. This can occur when a person isn’t positioned properly. It can also happen if the person in the seat with the airbag is a child who isn’t tall or big enough to handle the airbag being inflated.
When airbags don’t inflate correctly, there is a chance that a product liability claim might be made. This could be in addition to any compensation claims you make against the other driver for the accident. It is important to review the circumstances of the crash and injuries to determine what course of action is appropriate.
Source: FindLaw, “Car Accident Airbag Injuries,” accessed Jan. 23, 2018