Defective Airbag Attorney

John T. Flood is a lawyer in Texas who focuses on defective airbag cases. Call our office at (361) 654-8877 to get compensation for your injury caused by a defective airbag.

Safety features such as airbags are designed to minimize the impact and severity of a collision for those inside the vehicle; however, what happens when these safety devices become dangerous themselves? Unfortunately, thousands of drivers and passengers have had a defective airbag fail them – and in some cases injure or even kill them.

Intended for Safety, Not Injury

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, airbags saved over 50,457 lives between 1987 and 2017. Since being first introduced in the 1970s, airbags have undergone extensive testing and refinement to identify the best placement within a vehicle as well as the ideal materials to be used during manufacturing for optimal safety results. When functioning properly, airbags should limit serious injuries and deaths associated with auto accidents; they should never be the cause of a serious injury or death due to malfunction.

Airbags are placed in strategic locations within a vehicle as determined by rigorous collision testing to protect the most vulnerable parts of a person’s body, such as the neck, head, and chest. These physical injuries can be life altering and life ending. When airbags prematurely deploy, the potential damage is catastrophic.

Types of Defective Airbags

Airbags containing low-grade, highly volatile ingredients could combust even without the impact from a collision. Long-term exposure to heat creates a high-pressure environment in which the airbag’s materials cannot withstand. Upon rupture from this incubation period, drivers were blasted with pieces of heavy plastics and other materials causing serious injuries.

An airbag’s purpose is to deploy upon impact in a crash. In addition to using cheap materials that can cause unprompted deployment, airbags can also fail passengers by underinflating or simply not deploying in an accident. This can be caused through defects in sensors, defective inflation systems as well as oversized airbags signaling a defect in design. When this happens, the airbag is useless in protecting the driver and passengers during a collision.

Airbag Defect Injuries

Airbags are designed to shield and protect drivers and passengers from further harm during an accident. When properly functioning during an accident, airbags have the potential to leave bruises on drivers and passengers from impact; however, defective airbags are capable of inflicting injuries far worse than bruises. Victims of defective airbags reported injuries including but not limited to:

• Severe lacerations
• Eye injuries
• Torn arteries
• Skull fractures
• Bleeding on the brain
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Neck injury

Texas Defective Airbag Lawyers

Nearly 1.5 million people die annually on roads across the country from accidents, when their own vehicle’s safety features shouldn’t turn against them. A driver’s focus should be on traveling to and arriving at their destination safely. If an injury or death occurs as a result of a defective car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle or a defective component part, the injured party may be able to bring an auto products liability claim. When manufacturers ignore or fail to comply with safety regulations, consumers pay the price.

Were you injured by a defective airbag? Call attorney John Flood at (361) 654-8877 today for a free initial case evaluation. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Defective Airbags

What constitutes a defective airbag?

An airbag is considered to be defective if a design defect, manufacturing defect, or other flaw prevents it from working properly. A defective airbag can cause or worsen an injury in an accident or explode on its own even without a vehicle impact, creating a cause of action for the injured person to file a lawsuit against the airbag or vehicle manufacturer and any other parties responsible for the damages caused.

How do I know if my airbag is defective?

One way to determine if you may have a defective airbag is to check for recalls. Visit nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your vehicle’s VIN. If you find that there is a recall for your vehicle’s airbag, you can get it repaired at no cost to you at your local dealership.

How do you know if your injury was caused by a defective airbag?

If you have injuries to your face, jaw, mouth, eyes, or anywhere in the vicinity of where an airbag would have made contact with your face, head, or neck, your injury was probably caused by a defective airbag. An airbag is supposed to protect you from these types of injuries if it is working correctly.

Who is responsible for defective airbag injuries?

The responsible party could be the airbag manufacturer or the vehicle manufacturer. If the airbag itself is defective, the manufacturer of the airbag is probably responsible. But if the airbag failed to deploy properly, the vehicle manufacturer may be at fault. An investigation of the vehicle will provide insight.

What type of compensation can you get from a defective airbag case?

There is no way to know what you can expect in terms of compensation until you speak with a lawyer about your accident. You can file an individual lawsuit, or you can join a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer in which many consumers file similar claims.

What types of injuries result from defective airbags?

Many different types of injuries can result from a defective airbag, but the most common are facial fractures, dental injuries, eye injuries, and head injuries. Specific types include lacerations, bone fractures, skull fractures, and puncture wounds. Airbag injuries can even be fatal.

Can you sue for faulty airbags?

Yes, you have the right to sue the manufacturer of the airbag and/or the vehicle, and any other individual or company at fault, for the injuries you sustain as a result of a faulty airbag. You can file a lawsuit with the help of a personal injury lawyer like John T. Flood who can help you get the compensation you deserve.

What should you do if you were injured by a defective airbag?

You should call a lawyer as soon as you are able. The sooner you file a lawsuit the better, because a recent occurrence is fresh in your mind, allowing you to remember what you saw and felt during your accident. These details are important to your claim.