For many years, seatbelts are considered as the primary car safety feature which can spare people from serious injuries or death in the event of a car accident. There have been debates regarding their effectiveness, especially when used by children. Nevertheless, most states have adopted their own seatbelt laws over the years.
Airbags were made years after people started using seatbelts. The patent that covers the design of an "inflatable crash-landing device" was filed while the World War II is ongoing. Commercial airbags was then installed in automobiles in the 1980s.
Since 1998, cars that are being sold in the United States were made with airbags installed on the side of both the driver and his passengers. This safety device was proven to be useful and effective. According to statistics, this safety feature reduced the risks of fatal injuries during direct frontal collisions by around 30 percent.
However, airbags can also cause serious injuries or deaths if they possess certain defects. Instead of saving car occupants, they can cause harm to people if they:
- Failed to deploy- Airbags are designed to deploy in moderate and serious accidents in order to prevent the car occupants from hitting solid objects like the steering wheel or windshield upon impact. If they failed to deploy in the event of an accident, the car occupants will be likely injured in it.
- Deployed when not needed- There are instances when airbags deploy unexpectedly, even in the absence of a car accident. They are supposed to deploy only in moderate or serious accidents, as mentioned earlier. The problem is that defective airbags may suddenly deploy during low speed collisions or accidents, thus causing unintentional harm to the vehicle occupants.
- Failed to deploy on time- Airbags should deploy right after the airbag computer sensed that a crash or collision is happening. However, they may not suddenly deploy because of faulty components, safety issues, or different algorithm problems. As a result, car occupants may not receive any protection, causing them to sustain preventable injuries.
Many people have already been injured or have died as a result of a defective airbag. According to statistics, around 1,400 people were killed in front-impact car collisions between the years 2001-2006 because their airbags did not deploy.
Suing the Car Manufacturer
If you were injured in a car accident due to airbag failure or defect, you have the right to take legal action against the car or air bag manufacturer with the assistance of a Los Angeles personal injury attorney. Aside from giving you legal advice and guidance, rest assured that this legal expert will also help you build a strong case against the party at fault in order to have a higher chance of recovering monetary damages for your injuries.