What to Know About Airbag Injuries

While airbags are designed to keep vehicle occupants safe and protected, there is a risk of injury if one deploys, especially if it malfunctions and deploys when it should not. Airbag injuries are not necessarily common, but there is a potential for serious life-changing damage when one occurs. Airbags can also exacerbate injuries sustained in a vehicle collision. If you have been injured because of an airbag deployment, you need to speak with a knowledgeable Maryland personal injury attorney right away.

Common Types of Airbag Injuries

Factors that can influence the severity of an injury include the rate of deployment, the airbag design and location, whether a seatbelt was used, and what chemicals were used inside. Here is a look at several potential injuries that can result from an airbag deployment:

• Burns on your arms, hands, or chest
• Upper body abrasions, including face, chest, and arms
• Sprained wrist or other wrist injuries
• Serious fractures on face, skull, rib cage, arms
• Lacerations to organs or even brain stem and other internal bleeding
• Heart muscle rupture
• Contusions on face, chest, knees, arms, or even internal organs
• Airbag dermatitis or asthma attack
• Eye injuries and/or trauma to the ear or even hearing loss
• Injury to cervical spine
• Injury to expectant mother and her fetus

Potential Airbag Deployment Errors

Typically, the most common reason an airbag deploys when it should not is because a crash sensor malfunctioned. A variety of issues with the crash sensor can lead to incorrect deployment. Examples of a faulty airbag deployment might be:

• Deployment in a low-speed low-impact collision
• Crash sensor does not signal the airbag to deploy in a collision
• The sensor may fail and deploy the airbag at a completely random time, not related to a collision
• An airbag fails to deploy or deploys a fraction of a second too late
• One airbag deploys and the other fails to deploy

How to Potentially Prevent Airbag Injuries

There is no guarantee of not being injured by an airbag, but you can take some precautions to reduce your risk. These include:

• Always wear your seatbelt and ensure your passengers are also buckled up
• If you have a child passenger under 12 years old, seat them in the back whenever possible
• Do not use an incorrect size car seat; these are specific to the child’s height and weight
• All children should be restrained and seated properly at all times
• Adjust your seat to keep a distance of at least 10 inches from the potential deployment area

Retaining a Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been involved in an accident and you were injured by an airbag, it is important to preserve evidence. Keep parts of the airbag and ensure your vehicle’s computer does not get erased or reset. Be cautious about letting the insurance company take the vehicle, especially if they salvage it. Airbag cases can be complex and challenging and may involve multiple negligent parties It is highly recommended to contact a skilled personal injury attorney immediately following an incident. The team at the Law Office of Robert Castro, P.A. has years of experience handling all types of personal injury claims. Contact our office at (301) 870-1200 today to schedule a consultation.