Airbags are installed in vehicles to minimize the personal injuries suffered in a car accident. According to the NHTSA, 2,790 lives were saved by frontal airbags in 2017 alone. However, airbags can still cause injuries themselves. It’s better to be injured in a crash than the alternative, but injuries caused by airbags can be severe, requiring expensive treatment and time off work to recover. 

If you’ve suffered an airbag injury, can you get compensation? Who’s at fault? What kind of personal injuries are caused by airbags? 

Let’s get started.

 

Who’s At Fault for Airbag Injuries?

When a deployed airbag causes the driver a personal injury, there are a few possibilities for who is legally at fault. In most cases, the guilty party is either another driver or the airbag manufacturer.

If another driver caused your motor vehicle accident, they could be deemed at fault for your subsequent airbag injuries. If the airbag was faulty, then it is likely that the manufacturer, designer, distributor, or other party involved in creating or distributing the device would be liable.

If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact a personal injury attorney right away to fight for the compensation you deserve. Traffic accident injuries and airbag injuries are expensive to treat, especially if your injury has caused a temporary or permanent disability. Your lawyer will help you prove who is at fault, and negotiate a settlement that covers all of your personal injury related expenses.

 

Most Common Injuries

Whether the airbag deployed correctly or not, the injuries inflicted on car accident victims can be life changing. The most common airbag injuries affect the chest and head.

 

Chest Injuries

Because of the force of an airbag deploying, the inflation can cause severe and sometimes life threatening injuries to the torso. Some of these injuries include the following.

  • Cracked ribs.
  • Fractured sternum.
  • Cardiac injuries.
  • Punctured lungs.

This is especially common when the driver is too close to the airbag, which is why you should sit at least ten inches away from the airbag and keep children under the age of thirteen in the back seat. 

 

Head & Facial Injuries

Airbag inflation can lead to multiple injuries to the head and face, primarily due to flying pieces of metal shrapnel or a faulty vent system that does not properly reduce the airbag’s density. Some of these injuries include the following.

  • Traumatic Brain Injuries.
  • Temporary or permanent hearing loss caused by the sound of the explosion.
  • Tinnitus.
  • Eardrum perforation. 
  • Lacerations and puncture wounds.
  • Bone fractures.

 

Chemical Injuries

Airbags are able to inflate with the help of alkaline chemicals such as sodium azide, potassium nitrate, ammonium perchlorate, and tetrazoles. Inhalation and general exposure to these chemicals can cause personal injuries such as the following.

  • Temporary or permanent blindness.
  • Asthma.
  • Chemical Pneumonitis. 
  • Chemical burns and lesions. 
  • Irritant Dermatitis.

 

2023 Airbag Recalls

To decrease the risk of suffering injuries caused by faulty airbags in a motor vehicle accident, stay up-to-date on airbag recalls. Below are three of the biggest airbag recalls so far in 2023.

 

Toyota

According to the New York Post, Toyota has announced a recall that applies to about 3.4 million vehicles around the globe, 2.9 million of which are in the United States. These vehicles may have an electronic issue that could prevent airbag deployment. The recall includes Carolla, Matrix, Avalon, and Avalon Hybrids with model years 2011-2019.

 

Maruti Suzuki

According to Financial Express, Suzuki has recalled over 17,632 vehicles due to the possibility of a faulty part of the airbags that could prevent deployment in an accident. The affected models include Alto K10, S-Presso, Eeco, Brezza, Baleno, and Grand Viatra manufactured between December 8th, 2022 and January 12th, 2023.

 

Takata

The Takata airbag recall initiated over a decade ago is still in effect. Another death was confirmed on December 9th, 2022 caused by a faulty Takata airbag according to Auto Blog. The NHTSA has opened an investigation into about 30 million vehicles of various companies that may have faulty Takata airbags.

 

Check if your vehicle or any of its parts are under recall using the NHTSA recall search here.

 

If you’ve suffered a personal injury caused by another party’s actions or negligence, you shouldn’t be the one paying for it. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation where you’ll receive free legal advice from an experienced Kansas City attorney near you.