Disclaimer: The information contained in the article is designed for reference purposes only and does not substitute professional advice or legal council.
Airbag manufacturers face lawsuits every year over defective airbags. Some of these suits are settled out of court, while others go to trial. How much can you really sue for airbags not working properly?
Airbags are designed to deploy at high speeds to cushion occupants during collisions. They are also required to be tested regularly to ensure they meet minimum safety standards. If an airbag fails to deploy, it could injure or even kill its occupant.
Airbags are required to meet certain performance requirements. These include the ability to inflate within 0.5 seconds of impact and remain inflated for at least three minutes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires that airbags be able to inflate in less than two seconds.
In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at how much you can sue for airbags not deploying, and lots more, so keep on reading!
Common Airbag Defects
The following is a list of some common airbag defects:
Inadequate Inflation Rate
An airbag may fail to inflate quickly enough to protect the occupant. This defect can occur if there is a problem with the gas generator, which supplies the chemical propellant used to inflate the bag.
Failure To Remain Inflated
An airbag may not have time to fully deflate before hitting its occupant. This defect can result from a number of causes, including manufacturing problems and improper installation.
Defective Gas Generators
A faulty airbag gas generator can cause the airbag to malfunction or fail to deploy. A faulty gas generator can cause the vehicle’s airbag control module to shut down prematurely.
Improper Installation
An improperly installed airbag system can prevent the airbag from deploying when needed.
How Common Are Defective Airbags?
The sad fact is that airbag defects are all too common. This is usually due to poor design or manufacturing processes. Since 1997, well over 3 million vehicles have been recalled as a direct result of airbag defects and malfunctions
It’s estimated that around 50 automobile companies have had to recall at least one model of car due to defective airbags.
How Much Can You Sue For Airbags Not Deploying?
Faulty airbags can cause serious injuries or death. It is important to know how much compensation you might receive after being injured by a defective airbag.
If your airbag failed to work as intended, you could recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses.
If your car was involved in a crash caused by an airbag defect, you may be entitled to compensation for any physical injury or property damage sustained.
Lawsuits involving airbags not deploying can vary substantially.
This variation is why there isn’t really an average settlement when it comes to these types of lawsuits. This is due to a number of factors including your losses and the severity of your injuries. We’ll outline more of these factors further down this article.
Airbag Defect Lawsuits
There are many types of airbag-related accidents, but most involve a collision between a motorist and another vehicle.
An airbag failure usually occurs when the driver hits something hard, such as a tree or pole. Other possible scenarios include a rollover accident or a head-on collision.
When an airbag does not deploy, it can increase the severity of the accident. A person who has been struck by an unsecured airbag can suffer severe injuries.
Airbag Defect Statistics
According to the NHTSA, about 1.2 million vehicles were recalled because their airbags did not properly deploy. About 10 percent of those recalls were related to the deployment issue.
About 2,000 people die each year in crashes where the airbag didn’t deploy.
About 400 deaths per year are attributed to airbag failures.
In addition, about 5,000 people sustain permanent disabilities every year.
What Is The Average Settlement Amount For Airbag Failures?
As we’ve mentioned, the average settlements for airbag-related lawsuits vary widely. These numbers are based on a variety of factors, including the following:
The type of airbag defect (e.g., deployment)
The extent of your injuries
Your age and health
How long it takes for the manufacturer to replace the defective part
The cost of repairing the vehicle
The value of the vehicle
The amount of insurance coverage
The size of the company
Whether the manufacturer is willing to settle out of court
The length of time before the lawsuit begins
Who Is Responsible For Airbags That Fail To Deploy?
You might be wondering who is liable for damages as a result of airbags failing to deploy. The truth is that there are various parties you might have a claim against, including:
The Airbag Manufacturers
The Distributors Of The Vehicle/Airbags
The Automobile Manufacturers
It’s common sense that the majority of the burden of responsibility for airbag failures falls to the airbag designers and manufacturers. This being said, there have been some cases in which the automobile manufacturers have also been liable.
Conclusion
If you’re considering filing a lawsuit for airbag defects, it’s important to understand how much you could potentially recover if successful.
In order to do so, you need to know what kind of airbag defect you suffered from and how serious your injuries were. This will help you determine whether it makes financial sense to pursue a case.
The next step is to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your options.
The question of how much you can sue for an airbag not deploying is difficult to answer. As we’ve mentioned, these lawsuits and the amounts recovered/awarded can vary owing to numerous factors in each case.
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