Airbags are installed to provide protection and security to the passengers during a car accident or any form of crash. However, it can also cause mild to serious injuries or worse, death, even if it works properly.
A faulty airbag can lead to significant bodily harm. If an airbag deploys and leads to severe damage or hurts you, you might be entitled to compensation.
What is an Airbag and How it Works
An airbag is made from a super-light fabric or material inserted throughout the vehicles, including at the back of the dashboard panel, steering wheel, passenger side part, etc., for protection from injury.
Others might be installed in the vehicle’s door and frontal part and will deploy in the event of a side-impact accident and crashes.
Airbags like those on the side and steering wheel of the vehicles are deployed based on signals obtained from your car’s crash sensor, which lessens the risk of injury.
This sensor is used to deploy the airbag when a significant crash or car accidents are detected, like a head-on collision, or your auto goes over 10 miles an hour.
Once the crash sensors of your vehicle are deployed, it will bring out a gas, normally nitrogen or argon, that will fill up or inflate the airbag and force the inflator to get bigger and deploy.
The airbag deploys very fast, usually a fraction of a second or 200 miles an hour. The speed can save a passenger's life in some cases, however, can also pose a risk. After its deployments, it will deflate, leaving different chemicals which can lead to unpleasant odor and skin or eye irritation.
How Does Setting Out of Airbag Cause Injury During A Vehicle or Car Accident or Collision?
According to NHTSA or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 1987 and 2017, a well-deployed airbag already saves the lives of thousands of drivers and occupants due to a car accident.
However, aside from providing protection, an airbag could also pose a risk and cause severe injuries to the drivers and passenger side.
After a severe crash, the common cause of damage or hurt is faulty, or the sensor has a breakdown because of an airbag.
Ways Your Auto Crash Sensor Could Break down
The side crash sensor doesn’t release the airbag when an accident takes place.
The side crash sensor sets out the airbag in a non-accident case
Crash sensor leads to airbag deployment in the dashboard too late during an accident
The crash sensor on the steering wheel doesn’t set out when a collision is detected
If the side sensor sets out the airbag late, it could cause severe injury because the passengers bodies or heads are closer to the airbag once it sets out.
This means that a 200 mile an hour airbag impacts the head or body of the driver with 2,000lbs of force.
This is enough to cause severe damage to the driver and occupants, especially not wearing seat belts.
How near the driver and car or vehicle passengers are to the airbag at the time of an accident can considerably affect their vulnerability to hurt may cause the airbag to set out.
If you are close to the airbag or 10 inches nearer, the moment it deploys, the chance of being hurt by it is higher.
Airbag Deployment Cause Various Kinds of Airbag Injuries
Many kinds of airbag injuries can take place when an airbag deploys, according to a report by NHTSA. These hurts can occur on different body parts; it depends on where the vehicle driver's or occupants were sitting, like on the side portion. How near they are to the airbag the time it is set out.
Common Forms of Injuries Related to Massive Force of the Airbag/ Airbags Are:
Sprained wrists and fingers or other hurts on your hands
Abrasion, burns, and laceration
Airbag deployment can lead to head and eye and other frontal injuries
Contusion on different body parts like head, face, legs, arms, and chest
Body organ (soft tissue) injuries, head injuries as well as brain injuries
When airbags deploy could cause soft tissue damage
Other Injuries Caused By Airbag Deployment are:
Temporary or permanent blindness
Airbag deployment can cause internal bleeding
Damage or injuries to different internal parts of occupants' bodies, chest, which include lungs, veins, and liver.
Brains swelling
Sudden airbags deployment can also cause concussions
Whiplash is also common when the airbag deploys suddenly
Loss of consciousness
Bruising on different body parts which come into contact with side airbag
Airbags can cause serious eye damage
Rib injuries and chest fractures
Sudden airbags deployment leads to broken bones and skull, arms, chest, and wrists injuries.
Spine injuries, which include breaks and strains
Facial burns and fractures
Force of the airbag or airbags can lead to neck injuries
Hearing loss is also a common airbag injury
Burns to chest, face, neck, hands, legs as well as arms
Irritated lungs or asthma attacks because of the chemicals produced by the side airbag. In short, the chemical can also lead to serious injury.
If the airbag/airbags broke down or failed to deploy, more serious hurts are possible. Aside from broken bones and internal injuries, it can lead to deaths.
Serious or fatal injuries are possible, like brain and neck damage when a driver's sitting close or side part of the airbag once it deploys.
How to Keep Away from Airbag Injuries
There are many ways you can do to assist, avoid or lower the risk of injury or injuries caused by the deployed airbag. Below are the things you always need to remember when driving a car or vehicle.
Passenger/s and drivers should wear a seat belt.
Make sure all the passengers' seat belts are fastened securely before starting the auto.
Passenger to sit 10 inches from the airbag deployment area to avoid airbag injury
Think of having a switch on and off for the airbag deploy when you regularly drive with elderly or children or shorter individuals.
Avoid driving if you’re in the last phase of your pregnancy period because an airbag can cause harm to the fetus.
Avoid putting a rear-facing auto seat in the frontal seat or front seat of the vehicle.
Utilize the right car or vehicle seat and booster seats for children and make sure they are buckled securely and properly.
Make sure all children ages twelve and below are in the back seat of the vehicles.
What Passenger Need to Do If You Injured By An Airbag During an Accident
Suppose you have been wounded or hurt by an airbag on either side or front seat, and you think it was because of a faulty crash sensor or faulty airbag.
In that case, the most considerable step you have to do after the collision is to try to keep it, and all related parts, in your possession.
This only means that you will need contact with the safety devices such as the airbag, crash sensors, and car computer after the car accidents or collision as proof or evidence to utilize if you choose to take the case to the court of law.
Lack of these things, you will have difficulty in claiming due to airbags injuries. So, make sure to keep this thing in your mind.
What is more, you will also need to call or contact a skilled or seasoned Des Moines auto accident attorney when possible after crashes or a rear end collision.
You also need to contact your insurance company. This ensures you get the support you want and deserve when seeking compensation due to airbag injuries. You need the help of Des Moines injury attorneys for insurance claims.