My Airbags Didn't Deploy - Who Is Responsible?
Michael Babboni
Recalls
If you have recently experienced airbag deployment failure, then you may find that proving liability for this can be quite the challenge. To be successful in this kind of lawsuit, you need to prove that the airbag should have deployed, it is defective, and because of this, you suffered serious injuries that were worsened due to the airbag not properly deploying.Proving Liability
If you were involved in an accident and your airbags did not properly deploy, then you may be able to sue the car manufacturer. However, to do this successfully, you need to be able to prove a number of things.
You must prove that the airbag should have deployed during the accident, but it did not. You also need to prove that the airbag is defective, and the injuries you sustained were either caused or worsened by the failure of the airbag to deploy. Additionally, you must prove that you suffered financial, physical, or emotional damages as a result of the accident and the failure of the airbag deployment.
When this case goes to trial, they may depend on the testimony of expert witnesses in addition to your testimony, which can help to prove what you are saying. These expert witnesses will testify about the crash, why and how the airbag failed to deploy, and how this contributed to your injuries.
Some expert witnesses for this case will often include engineers, product designers, survey teams, accident reconstruction specialists, and medical experts.
Common Defects
When an airbag doesn't deploy as it should, there are a few common reasons for this occurrence.
Defective Crash Sensors
These sensors can detect an impact and then send a signal that tells the airbag to deploy. If the sensor is defective, the airbag may fail to deploy. When this kind of defect occurs, it is often traced back to the overall design or the installation of the sensors as well as improper calibration.
Defective Electrical Components
When the sensors are alerted to a crash, there is an electric signal that tells the airbag it is time to deploy. If these electrical components are defective in any way, the airbag won't receive the signal from the crash sensor and the airbag won't deploy.
Other Defects
Other problems may also exist including problems with the airbag module. If any component of the airbag were to fail, this could cause problems. Each component of the airbag is key in it working as it should.
Suing the Car Manufacturer
If you have recently been involved in an accident in which the airbag failed to deploy as it should, then you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. If you suffered injuries due to the deployment failure, you might be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, ongoing care costs as the result of an accident, additional out of pocket expenses, as well as pain and suffering.
The best thing to do is to seek out the professional advice and counsel of a personal injury attorney that can help you recover the damages due to a defective airbag.