When driving, you take steps to ensure the safety of yourself and everyone else on the road. From wearing your seatbelt to following the speed limit, reducing the risk of causing a collision is vital. Unfortunately, one thing that can cause you harm on the road is a measure used to keep you safe – your airbags. Whether they go off randomly or do not deploy during a collision, defective airbags can cause severe and, in some cases, fatal injuries. If you’ve been injured by airbags, reaching out to a Houston product liability lawyer is recommended.
What Causes Defective Airbags?
Defective airbags can be caused by a number of different issues, all of which can lead to injuries. Some of the main reasons an airbag can function improperly include the following:
- Cheap materials
- Improperly installed or calibrated crash censors
- Faulty design
- Electrical problems
- Poor quality control
These issues can cause your airbags to deploy late or not at all, deploy too aggressively, or can trigger your airbags by something as simple as hitting a curb or pothole. If your airbags deploy improperly due to any of the issues above, they can lead to severe injuries.
What Injuries Can Occur From Defective Airbags?
The purpose of airbags is to gradually slow your body down during a collision by providing cushion. This helps prevent your body from colliding with the hard surfaces around your vehicle.
If your airbags deploy improperly, it can cause some of the following injuries to occur:
- Burns and abrasions
- Spine injuries
- Broken bones, like rib or skull fractures
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Hearing loss
These injuries are excruciatingly painful when inflicted and can impact the rest of your life. Many of these issues can become chronic, meaning they will cause pain and suffering for years.
What Entities Can Be Held Responsible for Product Defects?
If you’re injured as a result of defective airbags, ensuring you receive justice for your injuries is crucial.
Generally, the car manufacturer is the most common party responsible for a defective airbag, as more often than not the error is caused by a manufacturing error. However, the liability can also fall on the product designer or producer, as they may have used the wrong materials.
You could also hold a negligent driver responsible for the injuries caused by a defective airbag, as you may not have been injured by the product if you had not been hit in an accident.
If you’ve been injured by defective airbags, ensuring you contact a competent attorney is essential to receiving the justice you deserve. Don’t hesitate to reach out to The Gonzalez Law Group. We will fight to ensure the negligent party responsible for your injuries is held responsible.
