Did a Defective Airbag Cause My Injury?

Vehicle accidents often result in injuries, but sometimes these injuries are caused by the various safety devices used to prevent injuries. This can include airbags.

Not all airbag injuries are the result of a defective airbag. Sometimes, individuals do sustain minor abrasions or contusions as a result of the deploying airbag when a crash occurs. However, there are times when individuals sustain injuries due to a defective airbag. But how do you know for sure if the airbag was defective? How can you prove this to secure compensation in a Portland defective product lawsuit?

Types of Airbag Injuries 

Not every injury that is caused by an airbag is the result of a defective airbag. Airbags save lives, but the reality is that they deploy with such rapid speed and force that individuals can still sustain injuries when the force of a vehicle accident is added into the mix. Some of the most common injuries caused by airbags include the following:

• Facial injuries, including bruising, scrapes, and even broken bones
• Chest injuries, including broken ribs or internal organ bruising
• Burns on the face, arms, hands, or chest when the airbag fabric moves across the skin
• Traumatic brain injuries or concussions
• Eye injuries caused by the chemical irritant released by the airbag
• Ear trauma caused by the force of the impact
• Injuries to pregnant women and the fetus

A defective airbag refers to any airbag that has a design defect, a manufacturing error, or some other default that impacts the safe functioning of the device. For example, when we examine one of the largest airbag recalls in history, the Takata recall, we can see that the main issue with these airbags included the ammonium nitrate used to deploy the airbag degrading when exposed to moisture, which led to explosions when ignited by the crash center. Unfortunately, this led to the shattering of the airbag mechanism, and the shrapnel created during the explosion led to severe injuries to drivers and passengers.

Other types of airbag defects that can cause injuries include a late deployment of the airbag, the failure of the airbag to deploy, or an unexpected deployment in the absence of a collision.

Steps to Take to Know if Your Airbag was Defective

Recovering compensation for injuries caused by a defective airbag can be challenging. Individuals who want to file a product liability lawsuit against the airbag company or the vehicle manufacturer must establish a strong connection between the defective airbag and their injuries.

It is imperative to contact a skilled personal injury lawyer in Portland who has experience handling complex product liability lawsuits. An attorney can use their resources to contact experts in the field and examine a nationwide history of the specific airbag that caused your injuries. There will also be discussions with accident reconstruction experts, mechanical engineers, medical specialists, and others.

If you have been injured by your airbag after a collision or due to a spontaneous explosion, we encourage you to check out the NHTSA recall website. Enter your vehicle’s VIN number into the search bar to see if there have been any recalls of your vehicle or airbag. 

If you are reading this article and have not sustained an injury caused by your airbag, we still encourage you to check out the recall website to see if your vehicle has any active recalls that need to be addressed immediately.