Auto Accident Lawyer for Air Bag Injuries

Air bags, required in all new passenger vehicles since 1999, have certainly been proven to save lives. However, air bag deployment during an accident can also cause serious injury or death, and you need an experienced auto accident attorney in your corner to receive compensation for your damages.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that as of 2015, 44,869 lives have been saved by frontal airbags. In frontal crashes, front airbags reduced driver fatalities by 29% and front-seat passenger fatalities of those 13 years and older were reduced by 32%. The NHTSA estimates that the combination of an airbag and lap and shoulder belt reduces the risk of death in frontal crashes by 61%.

Unfortunately, air bags can also cause serious injuries and death. The NHTSA estimates that between 1990-2008, 290 deaths were caused by frontal airbag inflation in low speed crashes. Nearly 90 percent of the deaths occurred in vehicles manufactured before 1998, and more than 80% of people killed were unbelted or improperly restrained.

Air bags can deploy at speeds greater than 100 mph and lead to serious or fatal injuries. When they deploy, they are hot and coated with chemicals, which causes the potential for burns and adverse chemical reactions.

Most of the reported deaths were passengers, and more than 90% of those were children and infants, most of whom were unbelted or in rear-facing child safety seats that placed their heads close to the deploying airbag. Short and elderly drivers, who tend to sit close to the steering wheel, also were vulnerable to inflation injuries from frontal airbags.

If you have suffered injuries caused by an air bag, your best course of action is to consult with a knowledgeable auto accident attorney.

Air Bags Can Cause Injuries

Air bags are designed to prevent injuries and save lives, but they do not always function properly. In some instances, they can also cause injuries even when they perform as they should. Air bags cause injuries:

• Through the speed and force of impact upon deployment, which can cause serious injuries or death to front seat passengers.
• When the chemicals covering the air bag cause adverse reactions or asthma attacks for vehicle passengers.
• In burns and abrasions due to the heat of the deploying air bags.
• To the eyes, especially to those wearing eye glasses.
• When defective sensors cause air bags to deploy at the wrong time, including when a driver is traveling at higher freeway speeds.
• May fail to deploy due to failed, defective sensors.
• When air bags are deployed too late during an accident due to improperly functioning sensors.

Hire the Right Car Accident Attorney

The auto accident attorney at Avrek Law Firm have helped many individuals who have been injured in air bag injury cases and are recognized for obtaining positive outcomes in difficult cases. By hiring a car accident attorney, you may be able to get fair compensation for your injury.

Avrek Law Firm can provide you with the expert knowledge of an auto accident attorney – contact us today to schedule your free consultation!