In a car accident, your airbags are supposed to keep you safe. Problems with airbags in some models of cars have historically been shown to cause more harm than good because of defective designs that make these airbags unsafe, potentially adding to the harm you face instead of keeping you safe.
If you or a loved one was injured by a defective airbag in their car, call the Dallas defective airbag injury lawyers at the Queenan Law Firm. Our attorneys represent victims of airbag defects and other defective auto parts and fight to get them compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages related to their defective airbag incident. For a free legal consultation with our lawyers, call our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
Injuries from Defective Airbags in Texas
There are multiple potential problems and defects that an airbag could have. These defects can put drivers and passengers at risk of additional injuries in the event of a car crash, potentially leading to a lawsuit. There is one famous defect with many airbags, but we will also discuss other potential airbag defects and the injuries they could cause.
The first type of airbag defect is the defect common with Takata airbags. These airbags have known issues in some models of vehicle where the airbag inflator’s housing is made of a material that does not stand up to changes in weather and slowly degrades over time. In these defective airbag cases, people are usually injured when the airbag goes off because the inflator’s housing shatters, throwing plastic and metal shrapnel at the victim. In some of these cases, victims suffered permanent scarring and even death.
Other airbag defects may involve problems with the mechanisms that trigger the airbag. Many airbags are designed not to inflate in low-speed collisions, as the airbag could actually cause more harm than good in those cases. If the airbag fails to inflate because of these settings, you could potentially face severe injuries that the airbag should have worked to prevent if it had actually deployed.
Defects with the trigger mechanism may also unnecessarily trigger an airbag after a bump or jolt, surprising the driver, blocking their vision, and potentially causing an accident. Alternatively, over-inflation could cause an airbag to inflate too fast or with too much force, injuring you when it hits you.
Airbags may be coated in a protective powder and other substances. If this powder or other debris causes you injuries when the airbag deployed, you could potentially face burns, scratches, harm to your eyes, or other injuries from avoidable shrapnel or debris injuries.
If you were injured by one of these defects or another airbag defect in Texas, talk to the Dallas airbag injury lawyers at the Queenan Law Firm immediately.
Damages for Defective Airbag Injury Lawsuits
When you are affected by a dangerous or defective product, you may be entitled to sue its manufacturer for the injuries you faced. Typically, defective airbag cases occur as part of a car accident case. In these cases, you typically sue the at-fault driver for your injuries, but in a defective airbag case, you may also sue the manufacturer for their share of the injuries you suffered.
The damages you can typically claim in a car accident injury lawsuit include damages for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost wages as well as damages for vehicle damage. If your injuries cause intense pain, prolonged discomfort, mental harm, and emotional distress, you can sue for damages to pay you for these harms. In addition, any economic harms you suffered can also be covered, such as the cost of medical expenses and lost wages from missed work.
With auto defect cases, the defective auto part can contribute to your injuries in two ways. First, the defect could cause the accident, which would not have occurred except for the defect. This could happen in cases where a defective airbag suddenly deploys without an accident, causing you to swerve into another car. Alternatively, the airbag’s defect could cause your injuries to be worse than they would have been in an accident with a working airbag.
If the airbag caused your accident, the airbag manufacturer is likely responsible for the full value of your damages. The damages from crashing your car are foreseeable harms resulting from a malfunctioning airbag, and the airbag manufacturer may be ordered to pay for your full damages.
If the airbag made your car accident injuries worse, the driver who caused the crash is still partly at fault. If they had not driven negligently or violated traffic laws, the crash would never have happened and you would not have faced additional injuries from the airbag. This means the driver is responsible for the damages up to what you would have faced in a normal car crash – but the airbag manufacturer may be responsible for the additional damages that can be linked to the airbag defect. This means your damages are typically paid by a combination of the at-fault parties, and it is important to talk to a lawyer about whom to sue and how much your case might be worth.
Call the Dallas Airbag Defect Injury Attorneys at the Queen Law Firm for a Free Consultation
If you or a member of your family was injured in an auto accident and your defective airbag made your injuries worse, our Dallas defective airbag injury lawyers may be able to help you with your case. Alternatively, if your airbag deployed by mistake and caused your crash, our attorneys will fight to get you the damages you need. For a free legal consultation on your case, contact the Queenan Law Firm today at (817) 476-1797.