Why Didn't My Airbags Deploy in My Crash?

If you are involved in a car accident that produces considerable impact, you can expect your airbags to deploy in the process. The idea is to provide a buffer that helps to minimize the injuries you sustain and to protect you to the degree possible from slamming against the interior of your vehicle. If your airbags don’t inflate, however, you’re far more vulnerable to being seriously injured in a car accident, and this defect can significantly contribute to the losses you experience.

Consulting with a dedicated Georgia car accident attorney who has extensive experience successfully handling accidents that involve defective airbags is the best course of action.

 Airbag Overview

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that airbags save lives. In fact, from 1987 to 2017, 50,457 lives were saved by airbags that deployed effectively. According to Science ABC, airbags take – on average – 0.120 seconds to fully deploy, which is what makes them so effective. If yours fails to inflate at all, however, you will only be protected by your seatbelt from the full force of the accident’s impact.

The Injury-Causing Accident

If you are injured because of another driver’s negligence, you can seek compensation for the losses you experience as a result of his or her negligence, including:

  • Damage to your vehicle
  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering

If the fact that your airbag doesn’t inflate exacerbates your injuries, you can also seek compensation from the responsible party (which may be the car manufacturer, the airbag supplier, or another third party). If the accident, however, involves only your car or is not based on the negligence of another driver and you incur serious injuries because of a faulty airbag, you can move forward with seeking compensation via a product liability claim that is predicated solely on that third party’s negligence.

When Airbags Are Designed to Deploy

While they are not designed to inflate in every accident, airbags should typically deploy in accidents that range from moderate to serious. Issues that can interfere with an airbag’s ability to deploy and protect you in a crash include:

  • Defective crash sensors
  • Computer activation problems
  • Replacement issues (airbags should be replaced after every deployment)

Additional issues can arise when the sensors read the severity of the accident incorrectly, or when airbags are turned off as a result of the sensors mistakenly detecting a child or small person in the seat being protected.

You Need an Experienced Georgia Car Accident Attorney in Your Corner

The savvy Georgia car accident attorneys at Banks, Stubbs & McFarland have reservoirs of experience successfully guiding complicated claims like yours toward favorable resolutions. If another driver’s negligence causes you to be injured and a faulty airbag makes the matter that much more serious, our accomplished legal team is on your side and here to help. To learn more about what we can do for you, please don’t put off contacting or calling us at 770-887-1209 today.