Airbags are meant to keep us safe while behind the wheel. Unfortunately, a defect in the airbag or deployment system may subject you to undue harm. If you broke your nose when your airbag deployed, you might be wondering about your legal options.
You do have the ability to sue if a defective airbag deployed and broke your nose. There are a number of ways to determine whether your airbag or another connected safety feature was defective. If there was a defect, you may be able to sue the car or part manufacturer for your injuries, where you could recover for damages.
The respected Dallas car accident injury attorneys at The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. are ready and willing to assist you with your legal case for financial recovery. Get a free consultation by calling us today at (817) 476-1797.
Is the Airbag that Broke Your Nose Defective?
Current safety features on cars, such as airbags, are complex and require that multiple parts work correctly. If any one of these parts is defective or malfunctions, you may be able to sue for your injuries like a broken nose. Below are just a few examples of the parts in a car’s safety system that could malfunction, causing you to break your nose on an airbag.
Airbag
The first potential culprit is the airbag itself. Airbags are meant to inflate quickly and maintain their shape to protect drivers and passengers from the force of a collision. Sometimes, however, airbags are made with substandard materials or extend too far. Further, airbags have been known to explode upon deployment. If your airbag did not function as intended, it could have been responsible for your broken nose.
Crash Sensor
Airbags deploy based on signals that the car’s computer receives from crash sensors placed throughout the car. These sensors must be capable of delivering their message within milliseconds of recognizing a collision. A defective sensor may send the message too late or not at all, and the airbags won’t deploy in time. Conversely, and more commonly, a defective sensor could cause the airbag to deploy where there is no collision. These are the situations that frequently lead to broken noses and other facial injuries.
Car Computer
The airbag and the crash sensors are separate entities. The so-called “middle man” between the two is the car’s computer system. The computer system is responsible for delivering the signal from the sensor to the airbag. A line of defective code or a glitch in this software can be the difference between necessary protection and harmful malfunctions. While you may not know how to determine whether there was a software defect immediately, our auto defect injury attorneys can help you get professional assessments to determine how the malfunction occurred.
Who Can You Sue if an Airbag Deployed and Broke Your Nose?
You can often sue any or all the parties involved in the manufacturing and distributing the vehicle and its individual parts if something is defective. This means there are multiple parties who could be held responsible if the airbag deployed and broke your nose. Your airbag injury lawyer can help you determine whom to sue in your case. It can often be helpful to name multiple defendants because more than one entity could share liability for your injuries.
Car manufacturers purchase parts, such as airbags and crash sensors, from various individual companies. These part manufacturers, just like the car manufacturers, are responsible for the design, production, and safety testing of all of their products. Any shortcoming in any of these areas creates liability for the company.
If the airbag was functioning properly and you broke your nose in the crash, you could also consider suing the driver who caused the crash. Most injuries caused in a crash can be held against the at-fault driver.
Example: Takata Airbag Recall
From 2016 all the way through 2020, tens of millions of personal vehicles were recalled due to various defects found in airbags produced by parts supplier Takata. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that these airbags contained a defect that caused front airbags to explode or improperly inflate upon deployment. Takata airbags were featured in prominent car makes such as Nissan, BMW, Toyota, Audi, Honda, and Mitsubishi.
If you suffered a broken nose from an airbag in a car from one of these manufacturers made between the years 2002 and 2015, call one of our experienced airbag injury attorneys immediately to discuss your legal options.
How Much Can You Get in a Lawsuit After an Airbag Deployed and Broke Your Nose?
If you file a personal injury lawsuit after breaking your nose because of a defective airbag, you can recover compensation from those responsible. The amount of compensation is called “damages.” Damages are hard to estimate without an evaluation of the specific facts of your case, so if you are interested in pursuing a lawsuit, call one of our diligent Dallas product defect injury lawyers today.
While broken noses are common and typically treatable, they can have long-lasting consequences that can affect a victim in a number of ways. A broken nose can make breathing difficult, which is particularly troublesome for those who already have conditions that affect their breathing. Broken noses make you vulnerable to further injury and infection and can even lead to nasty infections like meningitis.
No matter how mild you believe your broken nose to be, always seek medical attention as soon as possible to detect and prevent any further complications. Your lawsuit damages can potentially cover any medical expenses that you incur while dealing with your injuries.
These medical expenses may include surgical procedures. Many broken noses require surgery to restore function to the nose, particularly if you have suffered a deviated septum. In other instances where your appearance is greatly affected, surgery to repair the structure of your facial features may be necessary. Talk to your airbag injury attorney about how compensation from a lawsuit may cover your surgeries after a broken nose.
Call Our Injury Lawyers if Your Airbag Broke Your Nose
For help with your recovery, call The Queenan Law Firm today. Our Fort Worth car accident attorneys will answer your questions in a free initial call. Call today at (817) 476-1797.