Injuries From Airbags

Auto accidents can cause a variety of health conditions and injuries and the auto accident attorneys at O’Connor Law want to ensure that people are able to receive their full benefits from being involved in an accident. Car crashes are extremely dangerous and airbags are built into vehicles to protect people from serious injuries. Unfortunately, people can also suffer minor to severe injuries from the deployment of airbags.

Airbags are incorporated into vehicles to save the lives of drivers and passengers. Studies have shown that airbags can deploy in less than one second. Once the airbags detect a moderate or severe accident, the airbags will immediately deploy. In vehicles, there are two main types of airbags, frontal and side. Frontal airbags are usually located in the back of the steering wheel or the dashboard of the car. The airbags are strategically placed far away to prevent people from being too close when they deploy. Side airbags have the ability to inflate at a faster rate. In addition, vehicles can have other types of airbags, including knee and seatbelt airbags.

Numerous kinds of injuries can occur as a result of airbags. The Emergency Medicine Journal states that the impact of an airbag can cause concussions, burns, spinal injuries, internal bleeding, fractures, and sprains. It has also been reported that numerous drivers have experienced broken bones and chest fractures from the impact of an airbag. These types of injuries can lead to expensive medical bills. Our auto accident attorneys can provide knowledge and expertise on your case. O’Connor Law offers free consultations for potential clients to determine how to open their cases and receive their rightful benefits.

Some people have reported that they endured burns from airbags. In order for the airbag to inflate instantaneously, Scientific American describes that sodium azide is ignited to release nitrogen gas which deploys the airbags. As a result, people can experience chemical burns from the high temperature that is required to ignite deployment. In addition, friction burns can occur from physical conduct with the airbag. Skin irritation and trauma that occurs as a result of airbags are commonly referred to as airbag burns or airbag dermatitis.

Depending on the accident, people can become disabled or develop a chronic health condition. For example, drivers and passengers can sustain severe injuries to their arms and legs as a result of the accident. This can potentially disable people temporarily or permanently. In this scenario, individuals may be eligible to receive other benefit programs, such as Social Security Disability or short-term and long-term disability insurance. By contacting our office, our auto accident attorneys will be able to provide more information on benefit programs.

There are numerous ways to avoid an airbag injury. It is highly recommended that child car seats should be facing the rear of the car and not in front of an airbag. Also, children younger than 13 years of age should sit in the back of the car and not in the passenger seat. Another method is to always wear a seatbelt. The vast majority of states in the United States have laws that require drivers and passengers to wear seatbelts. Wearing seatbelts have been proven to protect people’s lives, especially with the addition of airbags.

Our staff at O’Connor Law want to make sure that all of our clients receive the best chance of success on their case. Our team of auto accident attorneys have years of professional experience in dealing with injuries that were sustained as a result of an accident. We understand the importance of receiving the right benefits. If you have been affected by an auto vehicle accident and have sustained injuries, please call our office to learn about potential benefits that you can receive.