Millions of Americans rely on airbags to protect them during an automobile accident from serious injury, and never imagine a defective airbag can actually cause them great harm. Most airbags operate safely and effectively and save lives, but some airbags do malfunction and cause serious injuries and deaths.

Types of Airbag Defects

• An airbag that deploys too fast
• An airbag that is too large for the space
• An untethered airbag
• An airbag with a low deployment threshold
• A malfunctioning system that causes unnecessary airbag deployment

Injuries Caused by Defective Airbags

Defective airbags can cause serious injuries that are usually confined to the head, upper body and arms and commonly include:

• Severe head injuries
• Facial fractures
• Brain damage
• Burns
• Hearing loss
• Asthma attacks
• Blindness
• Broken bones
• Decapitation
• Death

Shorter drivers face the danger of an increased possibility of a serious airbag deployment injury if there is less than ten inches between the driver and the steering wheel. A defective airbag may be the result of a design flaw, an error in the manufacturing process, assembly or installation.

Airbag Safety Tips

The following recommendations will allow for safer and more effective airbag use:

• Wear your seatbelts for every trip, every time, no matter how brief
• Sit at least ten inches back from the steering wheel
• Position the airbag at your chest level, not your head
• Never transport a child in the front seat of your vehicle

Financial Compensation for Your Injuries

People injured in defective airbag deployments are often eligible for financial compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, as well as other expenses related to the deployment of the defective airbag. Survivors of those killed due to airbag defects have grounds to sue for wrongful death. An experienced defective products attorney can help determine what your legal rights are and facilitate your claim for financial compensation for the injuries you have suffered.