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Airbag Injuries: How to Protect Your Rights

Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran

If your vehicle’s airbag is defective and you were injured, or it malfunctions during an accident in Michigan, contact a car accident lawyer to learn how to protect your rights. While airbag injury cases are not as publicized as personal injury cases following a car accident, these cases are still a significant part of our justice system.

What are the most common airbag injuries?

Airbags inflate extremely quickly at between 160 to 320 km/h. Specific airbag size depends on the placement of the airbag as well as where the car was made: In Europe or the United States. Airbags may be placed in front of you, beside you near the windows or your knees. They are designed to help you brace for impact and minimize the injuries you sustain during and after a car crash.

In most cases, airbags are one of the last defense barriers during a car crash protecting you from harm. Between 1987 and 2012, airbags saved more than 40,000 lives according to the NHTSA. But some airbags can harm you if they are defective and deploy without a collision.

The most common airbag injuries are:

  • Bruises
  • Burns
  • Broken bones or ribs
  • Eye injuries (like partial or complete blindness)
  • Internal bleeding
  • Traumatic Brain Injury

Airbags can lead to serious injuries leaving you with hundreds if not thousands of dollars in medical expenses. Newer airbags are being designed to inflate slower to reduce the risk of injury. But there are actions you can take to protect yourself from possible airbag injuries.

How can you avoid airbag injuries?

Protect yourself from impact and defective airbag inflation by always wearing a seat belt when you are in a vehicle, even when the vehicle is not moving. Do not sit too close to the steering wheel, glove box, or the seat in front of you. Do not put any objects in front of or in between you and the airbag cover. A deployed airbag could launch this object toward you at extremely high speeds and cause even more harm.

Consult your driver’s manual for more information regarding your vehicle’s airbag model and how to avoid injury.

What actions can you take after suffering from an airbag injury?

After an injury caused by a defective or malfunctioning airbag, you must preserve evidence including the accident report, witness testimonies, medical records, and the damaged vehicle. The car’s “black box” computers are also helpful tools to prove if the airbag deployed without an accident. You must also keep the parts of the airbag in case a later test or research is required. Provide this evidence to your car accident attorney so they can open a product liability case on your behalf.

What actions can you take after suffering from an airbag injury?

Airbag injury cases can be challenging, but the top personal injury lawyers at Cochran Law can help you. Even at-fault drivers can be compensated if a defective airbag injured them.

Claims regarding defective airbags are usually against the negligent vehicle or airbag manufacturers. If the manufacturer of your vehicle did not install the airbag properly or did not carry out the necessary inspections before putting the model on the market, they can be held responsible. If your claim wins, the manufacturer will be held responsible for all of your medical expenses stemming from the airbag impact as well as any additional damages caused.

If you or a passenger were injured by an airbag and are unsure if your situation warrants a product liability claim, do not hesitate to contact a Cochran, Kroll & Associates car accident lawyer in Michigan.

At Cochran, Kroll & Associates, we offer a free consultation and can advise whether your case would be viable in a court of law. We never charge a fee unless a recovery is made. For more information, call our office toll free at 1-866-MICH-LAW.

Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.

Ms. Barry is studying Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. She has won multiple awards both for her persuasive and creative writing and has written extensively on the topics of medical malpractice law, personal and birth injury law, product liability law. When she's not researching and writing about these topics, she edits a literary magazine and tutors students at Penn's writing center.

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