There can be little dispute that airbags are a valuable safety component in any vehicle and that they can prevent catastrophic injuries, vehicle ejections, traumatic brain injuries and even wrongful death. Many manufacturers of motor vehicles are now increasing the number of airbags in vehicles and placing them in positions that previously were not subject to airbag protection. The proliferation of side impact airbags and side window airbags provide notable examples. Despite the many benefits of airbags, they can serve as an independent cause of devastating injuries when they malfunction because of product defects in their design or production.
The vast majority of severe Mississippi car accidents that result in life-changing injuries are caused by negligent motorists, but sometimes defective safety components like airbags can cause injury in relatively low impact collisions where no injury would have occurred had the airbag not deployed. They may also cause more serious injuries than otherwise would have been suffered when deploying in such situations. If you have never experienced an airbag deploy, it is important to understand that when they deploy they do so with phenomenal speed and force. This means that it is essential that an airbag be completely deployed before making contact with the head or torso of a vehicle occupant. If the airbag deploys late, it may “deploy into” a vehicle occupant causing devastating injuries, such as broken bones, severe head trauma, serious damage to internal organs, eye injuries including blindness, and spinal cord injuries.
Many airbag injuries occur because of faulty or defective sensors that are designed to trigger airbag deployment. These sensors may be not be appropriately located in the vehicle or may be susceptible to malfunction caused by simple environmental factors like exposure to moisture. When these sensors malfunction, an airbag may deploy early, later or not at all. All of these scenarios can be extremely dangerous for the driver or passengers in a vehicle. Another serious safety issue with airbags is that they are designed to accommodate a male who is 5’8’’ and weighs 180 pounds. Children that have a height or weight that deviates substantially from these dimensions may be exposed to greater harm from an airbag than benefit depending on the circumstances of deployment, and how the vehicle occupant is situated (e.g. position and orientation of a car seat).
If you or someone you love was recently injured in a Mississippi car accident by a negligent driver or a defective airbag, we encourage you to contact our experienced team of personal injury attorneys today. At the Barrett Law Offices PLLC, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.