Ask any experienced auto products liability attorney and they'll tell you that, although auto airbags have saved many lives, some airbag failures have led to severe, even fatal injuries. These vehicle defects have also been lethal to shorter drivers who tend to sit closer to the steering wheel. Regrettably, many of these airbags have deployed in low-speed crashes, causing injuries and death in collisions where the driver or passenger would probably have survived with only minimal injuries.
Over 1,400 Fatalities Blamed on Airbag Failures
Auto defects of this type pose a major risk to drivers and passengers. According to an analysis of NHTSA's accident database conducted by the Kansas City Star, between 2001 and 2006, at least 1,400 people died in front-impact car accidents after airbags failed to deploy. Not included in this analysis were side-impact crashes where the airbag did not work, fatal impacts to the left or right fender, and deaths due to occupant ejections or vehicle rollover crashes. Had these been included, fatalities would have risen by more than 4,000. The Star also noted that since 2001, the number of deaths in accidents where airbags failed has gone up about 50 percent--with 2006 seeing a 14 percent increase in such fatalities. Skilled auto products liability lawyers warn that this is an alarming rise in auto products liability for the major auto manufacturers.
Defective Airbags Lethal to Children Under 12
Air bags can be a particularly dangerous defective product to children 12 and under. Passenger-side air bags inflate at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. This enormous explosion of energy, while cushioned by air, can be lethal to children who are unbelted or improperly belted. Another design flaw is that many airbags inflate horizontally from the front of the instrument panel directly toward the head of the child (safer designs, mounted on top of the instrument panel, inflate vertically upward, then out). Finally, too many automakers fail to crash-test their prototype and production airbags systems with dummies that represent infants, small children, short-stature females, and large adult males. The most experienced auto products liability attorneys will tell you this lack of testing can lead to serious product liability issues.
Variety of Airbag Malfunctions Add to Auto Products Liability
There are other airbag malfunctions that can cause severe injury or death. One particularly onerous auto defect is the over-aggressive airbag, which either intrudes too far into the occupant's space, or is too aggressive for small people and children. Some airbag systems have a "one size fits all" design with enormously forceful airbag inflation. Over-aggressive airbag injuries can cause trauma to the face, head, neck, spine, arms, and in some cases, blindness, permanent disfigurement, brain damage and even decapitation. Safer multi-force inflators have been implemented in many newer airbag systems. Airbags that inflate sequentially in stages, instead of a single high-pressure explosion have also been adopted by some manufacturers. Knowledgeable products liability attorneys say this design can help prevent serious injuries.
Another common airbag problem occurs when crash sensors trigger in minor low-speed crashes of only 7 to 15 miles per hour (safer designs trigger in crashes above 15 or 18 mph). Crash sensors mounted near a vehicle's headlights can falsely signal an airbag system that a major crash is occurring, causing the airbag to deploy. Crash sensors can also delay the signal, causing the airbag to either inflate needlessly or too late after a crash. In summary, airbag failures comprise some of the most dangerous vehicle defects, and newer, safer designs are long overdue.
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