Can a defective airbag cause injuries in a car accident?

Yes. Defective airbags can fail to deploy during a serious crash, leaving occupants without protection, or they can deploy unexpectedly during minor impacts or even while a vehicle is stopped. They can also inflate with excessive force, deploy incorrectly, or in the most dangerous cases, rupture the metal inflator and project metal fragments into the vehicle. The Takata airbag recall involved exactly this type of dangerous defect.

What should I do if I was injured by a defective airbag in Texas?

Preserve the vehicle and airbag components as evidence. Do not allow the airbag to be replaced until an expert has inspected it. Check the NHTSA recall database to see if your vehicle is subject to any airbag recall. Seek medical attention for all injuries, including those that may not be obviously related to the airbag, such as eye injuries, burns, or facial trauma. Contact a personal injury attorney to evaluate your products liability claim.

Is there a recall for defective airbags in my vehicle?

You can check for recalls on your specific vehicle using your Vehicle Identification Number on the NHTSA website at nhtsa.gov or safercar.gov. The Takata airbag recall affected tens of millions of vehicles across dozens of manufacturers and remains one of the largest automotive recalls in U.S. history. If your vehicle has an open recall that contributed to your injury, this may strengthen your products liability claim.

Airbag Defects

San Antonio, Texas Airbag Defect Attorney

Dangerous and defective airbags can cause serious injuries when drivers and passengers least expect them. From random deployment to deploying with explosive force and sending shrapnel flying through the vehicle cabin, airbag malfunctions are extremely dangerous, and they occur with alarming frequency.

Originally discovered in 2014, the Takata airbag scandal led to the largest recall in automotive history. As of 2017, vehicles are still being fixed, and more vehicles are still being recalled. More than 40 million vehicles in the United States are expected to be affected, and the backlog for replacement inflators means that millions of people are being forced to drive with defective airbags.

Contact a San Antonio Injury Attorney for Your Defective Airbag Case

Of course, the Takata airbag inflator issue is not the only issue that is to blame for airbag-related accidents and injuries. Dangerous and defective airbags are a potential concern for all motorists, and anyone who suspects that a faulty airbag may have caused or contributed to their injuries should seek legal representation promptly. San Antonio injury lawyer Ronald A. Ramos brings decades of experience to representing accident victims and their families. He can determine if a defective airbag played a role in your accident; and, if an automobile or airbag manufacturer is liable for your injuries, he will go to court to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Common Issues Resulting from Airbag Defects

Defective airbags can cause dangerous accidents, and they can cause serious injuries when they deploy improperly (or fail to deploy) after a collision. Some of the most common issues with defective airbags include:

Delayed Deployment
In the event of a collision, airbags must inflate virtually instantaneously in order to protect vehicle occupants from serious traumatic injuries. When even a split second can make a difference, delayed deployment of an airbag can be too little too late.
Failure to Deploy
The dangers of an airbag failing to deploy are obvious. Vehicles are equipped with airbags for a reason (and federal law requires a minimum number of airbags to be installed in all new vehicles); and, when airbags fail to deploy, the consequences can be devastating.
Unnecessary Deployment
Another common issue involves airbags deploying inadvertently without impact to the vehicle. When an airbag deploys unexpectedly, the vehicle’s driver will have very little chance of avoiding a crash. In the event that an unnecessary airbag deployment causes a collision, occupants of both vehicles may be entitled to compensation from the defective airbag’s manufacturer.
Injuries Due to Airbag Deployment
Finally, injuries can result from issues with timely airbag deployments as well. For example, if an airbag inflates too forcefully (as has been the case with many of the defective Takata airbags), it can cause burns and severe lacerations from debris sent flying by the explosion.

Contact an Airbag Defect Lawyer Today

If you believe that a defective airbag may have played a role in your auto accident, we encourage you to contact us promptly for a free consultation. To speak with lawyer Ronald A. Ramos about your case, please call (210) 308-8811 or inquire online today.

How Airbag Defects Cause Serious Injuries

Airbags are designed to cushion occupants during a crash and reduce the risk of fatal injuries. When they malfunction, the consequences can be devastating. Defective airbags can fail in several ways: they may not deploy at all during a collision, leaving occupants completely unprotected; they may deploy too late to provide adequate cushioning; they may deploy with excessive force, causing injuries from the airbag itself; or they may deploy unexpectedly without any collision, startling the driver and causing a crash.

One of the most widespread airbag defects in recent history involved Takata airbag inflators, which used ammonium nitrate propellant that degraded over time—especially in hot, humid climates like San Antonio. When these defective inflators ruptured, they sent metal shrapnel into the vehicle cabin, causing severe lacerations, traumatic brain injuries, eye injuries, and deaths. The Takata recall affected tens of millions of vehicles worldwide and remains the largest automotive recall in history.

Types of Airbag Defect Injuries

Injuries from defective airbags vary depending on the type of malfunction. When an airbag fails to deploy, occupants suffer the full impact of the collision without the cushioning effect, resulting in injuries that would have been prevented or reduced—including cervical spine injuries, facial fractures, chest trauma, and fatal injuries.

When an airbag deploys with excessive force, it can cause its own set of injuries: broken bones in the face and hands, chemical burns from the deployment chemicals, hearing damage from the explosive deployment sound, spinal compression injuries, and in severe cases, fatal neck injuries—particularly to children and smaller adults seated too close to the dashboard. Airbags that rupture and expel shrapnel can cause deep lacerations, penetrating injuries to the eyes and throat, and internal bleeding.

Liability in Airbag Defect Cases

Under Texas product liability law (Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 82), manufacturers of defective airbag systems can be held strictly liable for injuries their products cause. This means you do not need to prove the manufacturer was careless—only that the airbag was defective and that the defect caused your injuries.

Multiple parties may be liable in an airbag defect case. The airbag manufacturer (such as Takata, Autoliv, or ZF-TRW), the vehicle manufacturer that installed the airbag system, the component supplier that provided the inflator or sensor, and the dealership that sold the vehicle may all bear responsibility. In some cases, a repair shop that failed to replace a recalled airbag during service may also be liable.

An experienced San Antonio car accident lawyer can investigate the specific airbag system in your vehicle, determine whether a recall was issued, obtain the vehicle’s event data recorder information, and retain engineering experts to analyze the failure. This evidence is critical for building a strong vehicle defect claim.

What to Do After an Airbag Defect Injury

If you suspect an airbag defect contributed to your injuries, taking the right steps early can protect your legal rights. First, seek immediate medical attention even if your injuries seem minor—airbag chemical burns and internal injuries may not be immediately apparent. Do not allow the vehicle to be repaired or scrapped, as the airbag system and vehicle are critical evidence. Document everything: photograph the deployed or non-deployed airbag, the vehicle interior, and your injuries.

Report the defect to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at safercar.gov, and check whether your vehicle is subject to an active airbag recall. Keep records of all medical treatment and time missed from work. Then contact a personal injury attorney who handles product liability cases to evaluate your claim before the two-year statute of limitations under CPRC Section 16.003 expires.

The Law Offices of Ronald A. Ramos, P.C. has the resources and experience to take on major vehicle manufacturers and airbag companies. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your airbag defect case and learn what compensation you may be entitled to recover.