Airbag Defect Injury Lawyers

While airbags are supposed to deploy in moderate to severe crashes, they can be unsafe in a number of ways. For instance, your airbag may fail to deploy, inadvertently deploy at the wrong time, or deploy in a dangerous manner like Takata airbags. Victims can assert claims against the airbag manufacturer under a variety of legal theories, including design or manufacturing defects. A manufacturing defect occurs when a flaw exists in the manufacturing product to where an airbag deviates from its intended design, and a product can be defectively designed when it ends up being unreasonably dangerous despite being used as intended. In some cases, strict liability may be enforced. Depending on how the crash occurred, you may be able to assert a product liability claim against the airbag manufacturer in conjunction with a claim against another driver for negligently causing the auto accident. A defective airbag attorney can help Memphis victims explore the full extent of their options.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enforces standards regarding vehicles and their component parts in an effort to keep motorists and passengers safe. Its mission includes education, research, creating safety standards, and enforcing those standards. In the context of airbags, the NHTSA tests airbags and may issue recalls when appropriate. To date, vehicles from nearly every vehicle manufacturer have been affected by one recall or another.

Airbag safety is taken so seriously because when airbags do not operate as intended, catastrophic injuries often result. If your airbag fails to deploy at all, you may suffer a severe neck fracture, traumatic brain injury, facial scarring, broken bones, paralysis, or even death from your body violently jerking around, striking the steering wheel, or crashing through the glass. If your airbag deploys inadvertently or dangerously, you may suffer any of the above injuries in addition to chemical burns from components of the airbag. If your airbag deploys in a dangerous manner, shrapnel or other materials may fly out and strike your body or face. In any event, sustaining these types of losses could make you eligible to file a personal injury or wrongful death action against the party responsible for the harm.

Properly investigating an airbag failure is of utmost importance, and time is always of the essence. Even if you or a loved one suffered severe injuries, the vehicle’s insurance company may try to take possession of the car immediately. The time to inspect the vehicle, examine the airbag, and preserve evidence is before anything is done to the car. By retaining legal representation as soon as possible, a defective airbag lawyer in the Memphis area may be able to get the insurance company or tow lot to hold the vehicle and consult with an expert witness in a timely manner. Otherwise, critical information can be lost or destroyed.