Chicago Defective Airbag Attorneys
There are many components of an automobile that may perform poorly in the event of a car accident. As drivers and passengers, we count on airbags to give us that extra layer of protection during a car accident. A working airbag is a supplemental safety device that is supposed to inflate during a collision to minimize head and chest trauma. While the primary safety device, the seatbelt, secures the occupant to the chair, the role of the airbag is to become a cushion between the head and the interior of the car.
Side-impact or side curtain airbags may also be installed to lessen the impact of the collision between the side of the vehicle and the occupant’s head and body. Serious injuries or fatalities may result when airbags fail to deploy or when they deploy at the wrong time. If you have been injured by a defective airbag in Chicago, you may be eligible for compensation.
Common Airbag Defects
An airbag may be defective if it:
- Fails to deploy: Failure to deploy may result in serious injuries the airbag was supposed to prevent. Victims may sustain head trauma or broken bones from collisions with the steering wheel, dashboard or window.
- Delayed deployment: If an airbag goes off when you aren’t expecting it or when you are too close to it, the airbag may end up causing serious injuries.
- Deploys at an improper angle: Airbags are designed to go off in a specific way to best protect passengers from injuries. If an airbag deploys incorrectly, it may strike the occupant in a dangerous manner and cause severe injuries.
- Deploys with great force: All airbags deploy quickly and with great force. If an airbag deploys violently, it can cause significant damage. This is one of many reasons why it’s best to have young children in the back seat.
- Deploys at the wrong time: Most airbags are designed to deploy when there is a collision at above 20 mph. When an airbag quickly deploys and strikes the occupant in the face when it is not necessary, it may cause injuries that would not have existed had it not deployed. Some airbags have been known to go off randomly for no reason. This could not only cause injury on impact but it could also cause a car accident because of the sudden inflation and the limited visibility it would cause.
If you have been injured as the result of a defective airbag, you may be eligible for compensation. Injured victims could receive compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, surgeries and other damages. If you have lost a loved one, you could file a wrongful death claim against the auto maker or the manufacturer of the defective airbag. Please contact the experienced Chicago auto product liability lawyers of The Bradley Law Firm to get more information about pursuing your legal rights.