Airbags serve as crucial safety mechanisms designed to protect occupants of a vehicle in the event of a crash. Yet every year, many drivers and passengers suffer serious harm from the very devices meant to protect them.
The powerful force required to deploy an airbag in milliseconds—necessary to prevent catastrophic injury—can itself become a source of trauma. When airbag injuries happen, severe injuries can occur, and the victims have the right to pursue legal action against those responsible with the help of an accident lawyer in McAllen.
Common Types of Airbag-Related Injuries
When sensors in a vehicle detect a collision, they trigger a chemical reaction that rapidly fills the airbag with nitrogen gas, causing the device to inflate and cushion the occupants’ body from impact. However, this explosive deployment can occur at extremely high speeds, which can lead to serious injuries.
Airbag injuries often result in weeks or months of recovery, leaving victims unable to work while medical bills pile up. Beyond the physical trauma, many people develop anxiety about driving or riding in vehicles. These injuries can also have long-term consequences, requiring ongoing medical treatments, rehabilitation sessions, and lasting psychological effects.
Common airbag injuries include:
- Broken facial bones
- Severe eye damage
- Chemical burns
- Hearing loss
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Dental fractures
- Internal bleeding
- Neck sprains
- Broken ribs
- Wrist fractures
- Chest injuries
- Deep bruising
- Nerve damage
- Shoulder injuries
How Do Airbag Injuries Happen?
Smaller adults and children under 13 are at a higher risk of airbag injury because they typically sit closer to the steering wheel or dashboard. This reduced distance means they absorb significantly more force when the airbag deploys. This risk is why experts recommend that children ride in the back seat, away from airbag deployment zones.
System malfunctions can cause airbags to deploy during minor impacts or even when no collision occurs, catching drivers completely off guard. In other cases, faulty sensors fail to trigger deployment during serious crashes, leaving occupants unprotected. Late deployments pose another serious risk; when airbags inflate even a fraction of a second too late, occupants may have already moved forward from the collision’s force. These delayed deployments can strike occupants with devastating force.
Manufacturing defects may also lead to airbag injuries. Airbags from Takata Corporation, a now-defunct automotive parts company, were recalled after it was discovered their inflators could degrade over time and explode during deployment, sending metal shrapnel through the vehicle cabin at deadly speeds. This defect affected tens of millions of vehicles worldwide and caused numerous deaths and serious injuries.
Pursuing a Legal Claim for Airbag Injuries in Texas
If you were injured by an airbag during a Texas car accident, you deserve justice for the harm that you suffered. Depending on the cause of the injury, you could pursue claims against the vehicle manufacturer for defective systems, the dealership for unaddressed recalls, or even repair shops for faulty maintenance. You can recover compensation medical costs, lost income, rehabilitation expenses and many other damages that you suffered due to the injury.
A McAllen injury attorney can help you navigate your legal options and fight for the compensation that you deserve. We will thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident, document your injuries and losses, and advocate for your rights against insurance companies, manufacturers, negligent drivers, and more. Contact us at (956) 533-1426 for a free consultation with a Texas car accident attorney.
