Can I Sue a Car Manufacturer for a Defective Airbag?
If you have been injured by an airbag that did not deploy during a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. In New York, victims of faulty airbags have the right to bring a lawsuit against the vehicle’s manufacturer. However, there could also be other parties you have a right to sue, such as the distributor and retailer.
Why Do Airbags Fail to Deploy?
There are several reasons that an airbag can fail to deploy. In some cases, Advanced frontal airbag systems and side airbag systems automatically shut off the passenger airbag. This typically happens when the vehicle detects a small stature person or child occupying the seat to protect them from the airbags. In other cases, defective components are responsible for an airbag failing to deploy. As with any other vehicle park, airbag sensors can fail to detect the impact or deploy the airbag correctly.
Defective airbags can be caused by several different factors, such as improper design, improper testing or installation of sensors, or software failures. Additionally, defective electrical components or severed wiring can interfere with the impact signal communication between the airbags and sensors.
When one airbag fails to deploy in an accident, faulty signal communications between the sensors and airbags are usually the culprit even when the other airbag functions correctly. In used vehicles, it is possible that the airbag was never replaced after a previous accident occurred. After airbags are deployed, it is recommended that they should be replaced for safety reasons.
Injuries Caused by Faulty Airbags
When a car accident occurs, those driving have the right to expect that the airbag will deploy properly upon impact. Airbags have saved millions of lives and protect people from hitting the windshield with their heads or flying through the windshield. Head injuries are common when airbags fail to deploy. When a person’s head slams against the windshield, the force of the impact can cause brain hemorrhages, bruising, fractures, and more.
All of these injuries can result in traumatic brain injuries that can cause debilitating and long-lasting symptoms. Severe cuts and spinal cord injuries can also occur when an airbag fails to deploy correctly. If the car accident victim flies through the windshield, for example, they could easily break their back, resulting in full or partial paralysis. Sadly, when airbags fail to deploy, many of the injuries caused are catastrophic or even fatal and could have been prevented by a functioning airbag.
Our Law Firm Will Investigate Why Your Airbag Did Not Deploy Properly
Airbags should deploy when car accidents occur, but there are times when they do not. If you were hurt in a motor vehicle accident because your airbag did not deploy, you might have a valid legal claim for compensation. Depending on the facts and circumstances of your car accident, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the airbag manufacturer and other liable parties. At Stanley Law Offices, we have helped New York clients recover the compensation they deserve after their airbag failed to deploy correctly.
At Stanley Law Offices, we have the financial resources and experience you need to fight for your rights. Many of our personal injury clients have become injured by airbags that failed to deploy on impact. Our compassionate yet aggressive personal injury attorneys are relentless when dealing with at-fault parties in airbag-related car accident cases. If you decide to work with our Law Firm, we will help build your case by doing all of the following:
- Investigate what precisely cause the airbag to fail to deploy upon impact in your car accident case
- Keep you updated about the progress of your case and answer your questions
- Identify what party or parties may be liable for your injuries due to the airbag failing to deploy
- Collect evidence that supports your lawsuit by showing the responsible parties’ negligence
- Negotiate a potential settlement with the opposing party and handle Communications with them
- Complete all the paperwork required in your case
- Negotiate aggressively with the insurance company
- Take your case to trial if a satisfactory settlement cannot be reached
Checking for Defects in Your Vehicle
If you suffered an injury from the airbag failing to deploy, we would investigate the entire vehicle for potential defects. In some cases, the airbag is only one of several different defects that contributed to your injuries. We can work with expert engineers and investigators who will carefully examine various components of your vehicle to determine precisely why the airbags never deployed when your vehicle collided with another car.
These engineers and investigators will check for all different types of potential defects. If we discovered that something went seriously wrong while you were driving, the information they uncover would be used during negotiations and a trial if your case goes to court. The information we receive during this investigation process will help us consider the following:
- All of the parties who are at fault and liable for your injuries
- Whether we may be able to negotiate your claim with the at-fault party’s insurance carrier
- If the at-fault party is self-insured
- Whether we will need to litigate your case and potentially take it to trial before a judge and jury
- What made the airbags defective, such as poor design, poor assembly, punctures in the bag, etc.
Discuss Your Case With an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
Have you or your loved one been seriously injured in a car accident where an airbag failed to deploy? It is always a good idea to discuss your case with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Doing so can help you understand your legal options and ensure you begin the process before the statute of limitations on your claim runs out. Contact Stanley Law Offices today to schedule your free initial consultation.
