Car accidents are some of the most stressful situations to navigate, and they can involve much more than just tedious insurance claims and other logistical headaches. Severe injuries can occur due to these accidents, and victims may need medical care for weeks or even years to come.
To help reduce the severity of the impact in accidents, airbags have been designed for vehicles and implemented throughout their structures to cushion passengers. However, there are situations where airbag failure may occur, including by not deploying in the event of a collision, and it’s essential to understand why this can happen and what to do about it.
What Is the Purpose of Airbags?
First, you should know why airbags are incorporated in vehicles from the outset. Airbags have been in many vehicles since the early 1970s, and frontal airbags have been legally required for all cars since 1999, and for good reason.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates airbags have saved over 50,000 lives. These devices have significantly improved the safety of drivers and passengers alike.
How Do Airbags Work?
Airbags deploy by sensing certain amounts of impact on the vehicles involved. If enough force is exerted on a vehicle, the airbags in it may deploy.
The impact required to cause an airbag to deploy during a car accident is typically about the force that occurs when a car drives into a static brick wall at 10 to 15 miles per hour. This means that airbags can deploy even in medium-impact accidents and more significant collisions.
Airbag deployment involves three main components:
- The bag itself (made of nylon fabric)
- A built-in sensor for activating the airbag
- The inflation system, which gives the airbag the quick inflation needed to create a buffer for passengers within a fraction of a second
The inflation system of an airbag includes chemicals that are released, and the inflation occurs in less than one-tenth of a second. In fact, airbags can reach seated passengers at speeds as high as 100 miles per hour.
There are different kinds of airbags as well, including front airbags (which protect the driver and passenger seats), side airbags (which protect passengers in the rear of a vehicle and can also further protect those in front), and knee airbags (considered less effective overall). Together these devices form the full airbag system of a vehicle and help protect all passengers from injury.
Why Didn’t Your Airbag Deploy?
Even with their intricate design, airbags sometimes don’t deploy correctly in an accident. This can have enormous consequences because people may be injured by their impact against the dashboard or even thrown from a vehicle.
Without working airbags, minor collisions may result in anything from scratches to whiplash injury, and major accidents may result in broken bones or even death. Car accidents are dangerous enough with airbags working properly; without them, they can cause even more issues.
Some of the most common reasons why airbag didn’t deploy after an accident when it was supposed to are the following:
- Manufacturing flaws in the airbag
- A broken sensor in the airbag
- Split wires or other damaged electrical components
- Various issues with your vehicle
Unfortunately, recalls on airbags have not been uncommon. If there is an issue with your actual airbag, it’s crucial to take your vehicle to an authorized dealer to get a defective airbag fixed or replaced as soon as possible. If the airbags fail to deploy in an accident, it can be a matter of life and death.
Who Is Liable When Airbags Do Not Deploy?
The liability of an airbag failing to deploy during a car accident can vary. It depends on why the airbag didn’t deploy at the accident scene in the first place. The liability may belong to the car or airbag manufacturer.
There may be an issue with the airbag itself that you’ll need to hold the airbag manufacturer accountable for. But there also could be an issue with your vehicle that caused the problem, which means the car manufacturer may be at fault. A mechanic can help you determine why your airbag failed to deploy.
Once you’ve determined to the best of your ability why your airbag didn’t deploy, it’s a good idea to talk to an experienced car accident attorney to get professional legal advice on who you should approach for compensation. This kind of legal action can be critical if serious injuries have occurred.
What Should You Do if My Airbag Failed To Deploy?
If you are involved in a car accident, and your airbag fails to deploy, you may have a defective airbag or some other issue with your vehicle that needs to be addressed.
If you can, bring your vehicle to a mechanic or reputable shop to have it inspected thoroughly. Keep all of the paperwork you receive that helps to diagnose the issue.
Depending upon the issue, you may be entitled to seek additional compensation to cover vehicle repair costs and any medical costs you are facing due to the airbag’s failed deployment.
Talking to a car accident lawyer can help you make the right decisions on what kinds of claims, cases, and lawsuits you should pursue to receive maximum compensation and justice for what happened. Navigating your car accident case will be complicated, from looking into manufacturing defects to drawing on past airbag deployment cases brought against the parties involved.
How Can You Check That Your Airbag Works?
Going to a professional mechanic is the best way to ensure that your airbags are functioning correctly and will deploy successfully if a collision occurs. Mechanics can check the computer system of the vehicle to look for any error codes, as well as look at the airbag system itself to make sure everything is okay and there are no defective airbags.
It’s imperative to ensure the airbag system in your vehicle is good to go if you’ve purchased it used and, even more importantly, if you purchased it from a private party. Even if you receive reports and paperwork from the other party upon purchase, it never hurts to be on the safe side and take it in for inspection. Airbags can be a matter of life and death.
What Injuries Can Occur When Airbags Fail to Deploy?
Plenty of serious injuries can occur when airbags fail to deploy. The impact of another vehicle or object without any buffer to catch it can cause direct damage to any part of the body that strikes the dashboard or other parts of your vehicle, resulting in potentially life-threatening injuries.
Head injuries are common, as the body is often thrown toward the dashboard or steering wheel. Broken bones in the upper body area or arms also occur, and whiplash and neck or back-related injuries can be especially difficult to deal with. Soft tissue damage is not uncommon.
Internal bleeding may also occur as a result of an accident without airbags. Passengers not using seat belts may even be thrown out of motor vehicles in severe crashes, causing injuries from their fall and the sharp glass they were thrown through.
Accident victims who have suffered injuries may end up dealing with long periods of physical rehab and significant medical expenses due to an airbag malfunction.
What Damages Can You Collect When Airbags Fail to Deploy?
The damages you can collect when an accident occurs and your car’s airbag fails to deploy are for anything from medical expenses to lost wages as a result of injury.
If the other driver was at fault, depending upon which state you’re in, you may be able to pursue compensation from their insurance for expenses. Beyond this, however, you can seek further compensation for your airbag’s failure to deploy.
Filing a product liability claim or defective airbag lawsuit may be the best route to go to collect for damages. An experienced attorney can help you sort through what happened and pursue the right kinds of legal resolutions. Product liability law allows those who have sustained injuries due to a manufacturing defect to sue for due compensation (including in cases of faulty airbags and defective sensors in vehicles).
Get Professional Help from 1800 Ask Gary
It’s essential to follow up legally and medically after an accident to ensure a bad situation doesn’t get worse. If you’ve been involved in an accident and need professional advice, contact 1-800-Ask-Gary today to talk to an accident lawyer or medical professional who can help.
