Airbags are an essential safety device that protects a driver and passengers in serious car accidents. The airbag serves as the last remaining shield between one’s body and the car’s front window.
Without airbags, individuals in car accidents could be thrown through the windshield and likely cannot survive a severe crash. [1]
While airbags remain a great safety feature, they can also cause serious injuries when they deploy in high-impact auto accidents in Chicago, IL.
An Illinois Vehicle Airbag Injury Lawyer Can Help
The Illinois auto accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC understand the traumatic experience you have had with Takata airbags. Our legal team understands how overwhelming the stressful experience of recovering from a car accident can be.
Our law office has worked with other individuals who have suffered serious injuries due to an impact with an airbag, and we are ready to use our experience to benefit your case. Please get in touch with our Illinois auto accident lawyers to receive more information about your case.
Our experienced attorneys currently represent car crash victims throughout Illinois, and the following localities: Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, Will County, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Elgin, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan.
The Mechanics of Airbags and How They Can Malfunction
An airbag is a safety device that instantly inflates upon a collision. Unfortunately, not all motorists and passengers are familiar with how airbags work. Some people are also unaware that airbags can cause severe injuries and even death.
During an accident, a sensor will signal that a collision has taken place and trigger the inflation of an airbag. Automakers install airbag devices into side doors, dashboards, and panels of a motor vehicles. Most cars feature a design where airbags inflate from all directions to cushion the driver or passenger’s upper body in a crash.
Sometimes, an airbag might malfunction and inflate for no reason. If a driver is unaware that an airbag is about to malfunction, they might be at risk of causing a severe car accident and suffering from injuries as a result.
Safety Tips to Remember When Using Cars With Airbags
If you have a car equipped with an airbag, then there are some steps that you can take to minimize your risk of injury. Because newer car models now feature multiple airbags in the front and back seats, it is even more critical that drivers are fully informed about safety tips associated with airbags [2] that include:
- Always use a seat belt in cars with airbags
- Attempt to be at least ten inches away from an airbag when it inflates
- Remember that the first two to three inches from an airbag are considered the ‘danger zone’
- Keep children in the backseats
- Bear in mind that children are at a high risk of serious injury if they are in a front seat when an airbag inflates
- Keep child car seats in the back rows of the car
- If a child must sit in the front seat of a car, then make sure that you use a booster seat
National Airbag Injury Statistics
In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a research report detailing airbag injury statistics for adults and children. The study found that:
- Over 170 children suffered from severe injuries from airbags
- More than thirty-five children had life-threatening injuries
- Nearly one hundred drivers suffered fatal injuries
- About ten drivers had life-threatening injuries
- Over ten passengers received fatal injuries
Also, the NHTSA has released these statistics regarding airbags and their dangers:
- Over fifty auto manufacturers have Issued airbag recalls on at least one type of car due to airbag defects in airbags Installed in steering wheels and dashboards
- Over 570,000 airbag deployments have been reported in the front passenger seat
- About 175 people died because of airbag injuries from 1900 to 2000
- Most individuals who die because of airbag injuries are children
Injuries Caused to People by Airbags
Our product Chicago product liability lawyers have represented clients who suffered severe injuries from defective airbags, including:
- Eye injuries
- Lacerations and cuts
- Asthma attacks
- Shock
- Crushed limbs
- Burns
- Suffocation
- Paralysis
- Death
Airbag Injury FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions raised by people injured by airbags in motor vehicle accidents in and around Chicago, Illinois. We appreciate that you may have additional questions or concerns and we welcome you to contact our law firm for a free consultation with an experienced auto accident attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and options.
Contact Experienced Chicago, Illinois Auto Airbag Injury Lawyers When You Sustain an Airbag Injury
Our personal injury lawyers have sympathy during your difficult time and are here to help you get back to a healthier life. We will fight hard to get you the justice and financial compensation that you deserve.
Contact our law firm today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation. All discussions with our injury attorneys remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship.
Please do not send sensitive information to our law office through voicemail, email, or text message. Our Chicago car accident lawyers follow social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus).