Auto defects are responsible for many injuries in Texas. If your car has malfunctioning or dangerous equipment in it, it could cause an accident or increase the severity of injuries you receive in a car accident. Problems with airbags are especially likely to cause increased harm if the airbag fails to deploy, explodes, or deploys without a proper trigger.
If you or a loved one was injured by a defective airbag or passed away in a deadly accident where the airbag failed to deploy, call The Queenan Law Firm today for a free legal consultation. Our Houston defective airbag attorneys may be able to take your case and fight to get you financial compensation for the injuries you faced. For your free legal consult, call our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
Exploding Airbag Injury Lawyers
One well-documented airbag defect that you might come across involves exploding airbags made by certain manufacturers, primarily Takata. These airbags were initially designed with a flaw that caused part of the airbag’s housing to dry out in warm, dry weather. This made it fragile, and when the airbag inflated, the inflator housing was known to shatter and shoot shrapnel out toward the occupant.
These airbag defects were in early 2000s models of certain vehicles and are not likely to appear in new cars. However, if you have an older car or purchased a used vehicle, you could still face injury from these defects. Talk to an attorney if you were injured by an exploding airbag.
Other Common Airbag Defects
Aside from exploding airbags, there are other potential problems or defects with airbags that could cause injuries or contribute to the injuries you face in an accident where the airbag does not deploy properly.
Airbag Failure
Airbags are designed to protect drivers by padding them in the case of impact. If the airbag is ripped or bursts immediately, it will not inflate enough to do its job. Rips or tears in an airbag could put you at risk, but you usually will not know that the airbag failed or broke until the accident happens.
Airbags that Fail to Deploy
Airbags are only useful if they deploy and inflate when they are supposed to. Airbags can actually cause increased harm if they deploy in low-speed crashes, so many cars have limiters to stop an airbag from deploying if the accident is nor forceful enough. However, these sensors and other equipment could malfunction, and your airbag might fail to deploy entirely. If your airbag did not go off when it should have, you could face increased injuries.
Airbags Deploying Too Often
The opposite problem occurs when airbags deploy when they should not have. This can happen if the car suffers a jolt that triggers its airbag’s sensor and deploys the airbag unnecessarily. If an airbag goes off when it should not have, it can cause serious injuries. An airbag suddenly inflating in your face can also block your view of the road, block your reaching the steering wheel, or surprise you and cause an accident.
Shrapnel Injuries
Even if the airbag does not outright explode, there could be dust, debris, or other shrapnel stuck in the airbag. If this happens, the sudden force of the airbag could cause the debris to enter your eyes or mouth or cut your skin, increasing the harm from the accident.
Damages for Defective Airbag Injuries in Texas
Typically, when you sue for damages after a car crash, you will sue the driver who caused the injuries. In many airbag defect cases, you can still file your claim against the driver for the physical harm you suffered in the crash. However, if the airbag defect caused additional harm above and beyond what the crash should have caused, you can file damages against the auto manufacturer or airbag manufacturer for those damages.
This typically means that an important part of your case is comparing your injuries to the injuries you would have faced if the airbag worked properly. For instance, a driver whose airbag fails to deploy could die in the crash instead of facing only minor injuries. In a case like that, the driver’s surviving family can sue the airbag manufacturer for the death. Similarly, while a low-speed accident might have caused only minimal injuries, an unnecessary airbag bursting in your face could cause additional injuries like whiplash or a broken nose, which the airbag manufacturer should pay for.
If the airbag’s defect actually caused your crash, the manufacturer might be responsible for the total results of the crash. Typically, swerving off the road or suddenly slamming on the brakes would put you at fault for the crash, not the other drivers who hit you afterward. In this case, it would be unfair to sue the other driver who hit you – but it would also be unfair for them to sue you if the airbag caused you to swerve and crash. This means you can generally sue the airbag manufacturer for the injuries in your accident, and other drivers involved in the crash may be able to sue them as well.
Your attorney can help you select the proper parties to sue and what damages to claim from each of them.
Call Our Houston Airbag Defect Lawyers for a Free Legal Consultation
If you or a loved one faced serious injuries in your accident because an airbag failed to deploy or suffered from another manufacturing or design defect, call The Queenan Law Firm today. Our Houston, TX defective airbag injury lawyers may be able to take your case and fight to get you the compensation you need for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. For your free consultation, call our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.