Martin J. Healy Personal Injury Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Airbags in our cars and trucks are supposed to protect us, but many times they actually cause an injury. In fact, more than simple bumps and bruises, they are actually responsible for hundreds of wrongful deaths. Hard to believe, but true. Why? Because they deploy at speeds sometimes exceeding 200 mph. If you’ve been through an accident where the airbag deployed, you would see that it sounds like a shotgun blast. And can hurt almost as much in some cases.

To determine its role in contributing to serious injuries or wrongful death it’s best to go through a thorough evaluation. The first thing to consider is whether or not the airbag should have deployed. If it did not deploy and should have, you may have a “failure to deploy” or “non-deployment” case. The airbag crash sensor may have failed. This could be due to faulty wiring or because the manufacturers crash tests weren’t comprehensive enough. Other times, it’s the passenger presence detection sensor that isn’t working.

Did the airbag deploy late? If this happens, impact occurs at a closer range. The extreme force can cause very serious injuries. The sensor should be checked as well as the vehicle’s “black box”.

You’ll also want to check to see if the airbag had specific crash safety features. These are added to airbags to reduce the risk of injury during deployment. These include items such as airbag inflators that inflate less forcefully, tethers that significantly reduce “bag slap” injuries, and vents that decrease pressure inside the airbag.

Remember, you’ll need to check the front, side, curtain and rollover airbags. Many cars have multiple airbags now. If you have been hurt in an airbag injury, contact our team of product liability attorneys today. We can help determine if you have a case for a lawsuit against the manufacturer.

For more information on defective products, dangerous product, product recall, SUV rollover, airbag lawsuits and other product liability cases contact the experienced SUV defect lawyer of the Healy Law Firm. Call 877-767-4591 to set up a free legal consultation.