Syracuse, New York, Airbag Injury

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Who Is Committed to Providing Unparalleled Personal Injury Service. If You, or a Loved One, Have Been Injured By an Airbag in a Syracuse Product Defect Accident or Motor Vehicle Collision That Was Not Your Fault, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Explore Your Best Options for Effective Legal Relief.

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Airbags have always been considered life-saving devices. Although car-makers spent decades resisting the calls of safety experts and regulators to include airbags as standard features in most consumer automobiles, their use was eventually mandated in the early 1990s. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, airbag requirements have largely paid off, having saved more than 50,000 Americans over the past three decades.

However, for all their advantages, airbags pose novel risks—risks inherent to their use, and risks that are sometimes exacerbated by poor design. In a certain sense, airbags could be considered the lesser of two evils. By rapidly inflating within milliseconds of collision, they prevent motorists from being thrust toward the dashboard or steering column. But this same rapid inflation, caused by a potent mixture of gases, can prove problematic for a whole host of reasons.

In the aftermath of a serious car accident, survivors sometimes find themselves battling injuries caused more by their airbags than the actual force of impact. These injuries, while often preferable to the alternative, can nonetheless be debilitating sources of intense physical pain and immense financial hardship.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. believes that nobody should have to pay out-of-pocket for an accident that was not their fault. If you, or a loved one, have sustained airbag-related injuries in an Onondaga County car crash that was not your fault, our experienced team of attorneys could help you obtain the compensation needed to begin rebuilding your life. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, we know what it takes to build a compelling claim for recompense—and we have the results to prove it. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an airbag injury lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your free consultation as soon as possible.

How Airbag Defects and Deployments Cause Serious Injuries

Airbags are designed as a form of supplemental protection, intended to afford the most protection when used in combination with a seat belt.

Although there is no standard airbag design, most are activated by a sensor placed in or near the front end of the vehicle. If a sensor detects a sudden and sufficiently powerful collision, it sends an electric signal to the airbag control system, triggering a chemical reaction that fills any functional airbag units with nitrogen gas. Once triggered, airbags typically inflate within 1/20^th of a second.

However, airbag mechanisms are imperfect, with even proper deployments carrying a significant risk of injury. Other potential problems, including defective systems, could further expose motorists to additional danger.

Airbag-related injuries have a wide range of potential causes, but the most common could include the following:

1. Airbag Sensor Malfunction: A defective or otherwise corrupted airbag sensor could cause an airbag to either inflate in the absence of a collision or to fail to inflate upon impact. Syracuse Newschannel 9 recently reported that Honda recalled more than 750,000 vehicles across the United States after learning that faulty airbag sensors in certain Honda Pilot, Accord, Civic, HR-V, and Odyssey models could trigger spontaneous and potentially life-threatening airbag deployment.
2. Airbag Chemical Reactions: Airbags are detonated through the oxidization of a sodium azide cartridge, which produces rapidly expanding nitrogen gas. While nitrogen gas is not dangerous, the reactive process can produce heat and corrosive aerosols capable of burning vehicle occupants.
3. Airbag Deployment Physics: Airbag deployments are underlain by massive amounts of force. If and when an airbag inflates, the force of its expansion is sufficient to damage tissue or break bone.

The chance of sustaining a serious airbag injury can be minimized by wearing a seatbelt or adopting a natural and relaxed eating position. However, motorists who abide by common-sense safety protocol could still be hurt during or after detonation. Airbag-related injuries are, more often than not, also accompanied by other impact and trauma-related wounds.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping accident victims fight for their rights. You do not have to accept bad-faith insurance negotiations or an at-fault driver’s misstating of fact in place of a fair recovery. Please call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your free consultation and speak with an airbag injury attorney near Syracuse.

The Most Common Types of Airbag Injuries

Airbag injuries are almost always caused by the physical and chemical characteristics of detonation. The most common sources of injury include the following:

1. The physical force generated by a rapidly-expanding airbag;
2. The chemical and thermal processes generated in airbag expansion; and
3. The shrapnel from defective or poorly-designed airbag canisters striking occupants.

If an airbag malfunctions, there may be a greater probability of sustaining injuries—either because the airbag failed to protect passengers as intended, or because its defective characteristics created an unexpected hazard.

Airbag injuries, no matter their cause, could include any of the following:

1. Facial injuries, including contusions and fractures;
2. Chest injuries, including broken ribs or internal heart injuries;
3. Chemical and thermal burns to the eyes, face, hands, arms, or chest;
4. Traumatic brain injuries; and
5. Internal organ injuries.

Some airbag-related accidents have the potential to cause catastrophic and potentially life-threatening injuries. Pregnant women, for instance, could lose their fetus if they are struck by an airbag with sufficient force.

Identifying Defendants in a Syracuse Airbag Injury Lawsuit

In New York, accident victims who have suffered certain serious injuries have a legal right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person, or party, who caused their collision.

However, establishing liability and identifying potential defendants in an airbag injury claim could prove unexpectedly difficult. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may need to take action against parties including, but not limited to, the following:

1. The Car Manufacturer: Car manufacturers are ultimately responsible for designing and selling reasonably safe vehicles free from foreseeable defects. If any element of the car’s design or characteristics compromises the safety of the airbag system, then the manufacturer could be at least partly liable for your damages.
2. The Airbag Manufacturer: Most carmakers requisition airbags from third-party manufacturers. Although some companies specialize in making high-quality airbags, even time-tested designs could fail under pressure or develop safety irregularities over long periods. Recently, tens of millions of vehicles outfitted with Takata-made airbags were recalled after an investigation showed they could explode when deployed.
3. The At-Fault Driver: If another driver caused your accident, they—and their insurance company—could be liable for any collision-related damages. These damages include injuries sustained by an airbag system that deployed properly and without defect.

Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped our clients in Syracuse and across the region secure more than $175 million in damages—money that they have used to wipe the slate clean on medical debt, seek higher-quality care, and reclaim their independence. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an attorney about your options after an airbag injury accident.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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