What Injuries Can I Get from an Airbag?

Since the year 1999, all new passenger vehicles have been required to include front airbags. There is a reason for this, as a lack thereof in the event of a collision may result in critical injuries or even fatalities. While your airbag likely saved you from a far worse catastrophe, you may still have gotten hurt from its deployment. On that note, please follow along to find out the types of injuries you can get from an airbag deployment and how a proficient Passaic County car accident lawyer at the Law Offices of August R. Soltis can help you recover from yours.

What injuries can I get from an airbag deployment?

Upon a collision with another vehicle, your airbag may deploy in 1/20th of a second at a speed of 100 to 200 miles per hour. Due to this sheer speed and force, along with how violently your body might move in reaction to the collision’s impact, you may get hurt as a result.

At the very least, you may get abrasions or lacerations on your face, arms, and neck. You may also get burns. And, if severe enough, these may sadly cause permanent scars and disfigurements to these features. What’s worse, though, is if you receive facial fractures to the nasal bones and jaw. This may require you to undergo a surgical procedure to correct it.

Far more critical are head and neck injuries. Head injuries may range from a minor concussion to a traumatic brain injury, and neck injuries from whiplash to fractures, chronic stiffness, and chronic pain. This is not to mention the possibilities of broken ribs, internal bleeding, and organ damage, which must be immediately treated to avoid a life-threatening situation.

Can I recover from my injuries caused by an airbag?

Even though you may be suffering from injuries caused by an airbag, it may have saved you from a much more unfortunate fate if it were not there to protect you. Nonetheless, though, you may still have the right to sue a negligent driver who collided with you, caused your airbag to deploy in the first place, and subsequently caused your airbag injuries.

On the other hand, you may believe in your heart of hearts that your airbag deployed unnecessarily. That is, your collision was not forceful enough to trigger them. Or, you did not initially collide with another driver. But your airbags randomly deployed when you were otherwise safely navigating the road and caused you to lose control of your vehicle. Thus, prompting your ultimate accident.

If so, a third party may be the negligent party in your case. This may be a mechanic who improperly installed or maintained your airbags, a car dealership that failed to inform you of a recall of your airbags, a designer or manufacturer who created faulty or ineffective airbags, or otherwise. This may require a thorough investigation, conducted with the assistance of your legal representation.

If you believe you have a legal claim on your hands, please get in touch with a talented Passaic County auto accident lawyer from the Law Offices of August R. Soltis. Your initial consultation with us is free, so do not hesitate to schedule one with us today.