The origins of airbags date to 1919 in general and to 1952 as they relate specifically to their use in automobiles. However, it was not until the 1990s when that use started becoming commonplace. In any case, they have saved countless lives and prevented numerous severe as well as minor injuries in the decades that have followed.
However, they are not 100% safe, and injuries partially or solely from airbag deployment do occur from time to time. In fact, although far from common, even deaths have resulted from airbag deployment.
In any case, if you or someone you know has been injured or killed as a result of airbag deployment, a claim against the vehicle or airbag manufacturer or seller, repair shop that engaged in negligent installation or repair of it or related entities could be brought against them.
Although a vehicle or airbag manufacturer is the most common focus for this type of lawsuit, it depends on the specific circumstances that surround what happened.
What Are Airbags?
Airbags are inflatable vehicle safety cushions that are designed to inflate fast when crashes and similar circumstances happen in order to provide a softer barrier between the person in that seat and the much harder parts of a vehicle, such as its steering wheel, dashboard or window.
Crash sensors are activated when specific circumstances, such as crashes, prompt them to. At that point, an electronic control unit quickly assesses if the situation warrants deployment. If so, gas is then produced, which causes the airbag to burst out of its compartment before quickly deflating. This all happens in less than a second.
The intent is to use airbags with seat belts as they have been designed as a supplemental restraint system. This is partially because when seat belts are also utilized, the driver or passenger will usually be properly positioned when an airbag deploys. Conversely, if seat belts are not used, injuries from airbag deployment end up being more common.
Common Airbag-Deployment Injuries
The types of injuries that can be caused by airbag deployments are limitless. Here are a few of the most common ones.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Although airbags are designed to protect those inside the car from traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, they can still occur directly from an airbag deployment.
That is partially because the rapid deceleration that accompanies crashes will often cause the brain to move inside of the skull regardless of whether or not an airbag has been deployed. That said, generally, TBIs suffered during crashes will be reduced in severity when an airbag has been deployed.
What can result from a concussion and other types of TBIs, such as brain swelling and intracranial hemorrhages, include dizziness, confusion, nausea, difficulty concentrating, memory changes, slowing of mental processing speed and headaches. More serious possibilities include slurred speech, increasing confusion, communication issues, worsening headaches, repeated vomiting and entering a coma.
Note that TBIs caused by airbag deployment are more likely when a person is sitting close to the steering wheel or dashboard or is positioned in an unnatural position, both of which are more likely to occur when seat belts are not used.
Facial Injuries
There are several facial injuries that can result when airbag deployment happens since they are being deployed directly towards the person’s face and upper body. One of the more serious ones is facial fractures, which may impact the nose, jaw and other bones, while others include lacerations and abrasions on the face and bruising and swelling of soft tissue in the face.
Also note that eye injuries can occur, and these may be serious, resulting in corneal abrasions, retinal damage or orbital fractures. Permanent blindness is even possible.
Dental injuries are also possible. Teeth can be fractured, chipped, loosened or knocked out entirely. Various injuries are possible to the gums, tongue and lips.
Note that those who are wearing glasses when an airbag is deployed could experience facial injuries as a result of those glasses being impacted by the airbag.
Chest and Abdominal Injuries
Airbags are designed to get between the driver or passenger’s midriff and chest and the windshield, dashboard and steering wheel. However, it can also strike those parts of a person’s body with enough force to cause injuries. This is even more likely when those impacted have disabilities or are children or elderly.
Examples of these types of injuries include organ damage, fractured ribs, lung injuries and collarbone breaks.
If you have been in a car accident during which an airbag was deployed, be wary of breathing difficulties and coughing that are accompanied by pain. That could be a sign of airbag-caused chest or lung injuries.
Also keep in mind that these types of injuries can result in worsening chest and abdominal pain. If this happens, seek continued medical attention as that could signal an especially serious condition.
Neck and Spinal Injuries
Neck and spinal injuries can be caused by the deployment of an airbag.
A common one is whiplash. This happens more often in rear-end accidents. In any case, it occurs when someone’s neck is jerked back and forth or, less often, side to side, to a significant degree. When this happens, soft tissues, such as ligaments and tendons, are damaged.
Symptoms related to airbag-caused neck and spinal injuries include neck and back pain and headaches. Temporary or permanent paralysis is a more severe potential result; one of the most severe injuries that can result from airbag deployment is spinal fracture.
These are also types of injuries that may involve worsening symptoms and potentially not seem that serious or even feel nonexistent in the immediate aftermath of the crash or even throughout the initial days following. Nerve compression and herniated discs are a couple of prominent examples of more serious injuries that tend to take a few days to fully become apparent.
Arm and Hand Injuries
When an airbag deploys, a driver’s hands are usually on the steering wheel, and this can cause injuries to those hands as well as to wrists, forearms and elbows.
Types of related injuries can include sprains, strains, bruises, abrasions, burns, cuts, dislocations, fractures and nerve injuries, the latter of which may result in numbness or reduced grip strength. Also, the ability to do precise hand movements, including typing, as well as lifting objects and driving can be negatively impacted.
In addition, note that an airbag can force an arm or hand into a different part of the vehicle, such as the steering wheel or a door or window. This is partially because of the factor that hand position can play in these circumstances.
Sometimes, a driver or passenger will have their hand close to the airbag module when it deploys, resulting in these types of injuries.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Airbag deployment during a crash or otherwise can cause various kinds of soft tissue injuries. When this happens, ligaments, tendons or muscles are affected. Note that although whiplash is the type of injury that is most associated with damage to soft tissues, they can be harmed by an airbag in other ways as well.
In any case, muscle strains in the shoulders, arms, chest and back may result from airbag impact. So can overstretched or torn ligaments in the wrists, elbows and shoulders. Tendons can even be torn in an arm or other body part. Additionally, the soft tissues connected with the ribs and sternum may be impacted while bruises are possible anywhere. In fact, bruises, swelling and tenderness are some of the main signs of soft tissue damage.
Keep in mind that soft tissue injuries are another common type that often show up more so days after a crash than they do immediately following it.
Internal Injuries
When an airbag puts a tremendous amount of pressure on someone’s abdomen or chest, significant internal injuries may result. Some of the most serious examples of this include lacerations to the lungs, spleen, kidneys, liver, intestines and heart. These lacerations can cause internal bleeding, which is a serious potential issue that should be considered after airbag deployment.
The main concern that medical professionals have with internal injuries is that they are both not visible and can cause a tremendous amount of damage, even resulting in someone’s death if they are serious enough.
A few signs of internal injuries having been suffered include abdominal pain, an unintentionally rigid or hard abdomen, swelling, tenderness and dizziness.
Burn Injuries
Chemicals are released when airbags deploy, and they can cause burns on a car’s occupant’s face, arms and other parts of their body. Generally, these types of airbag-deployment injuries are minor, but there have been cases where significant pain, blistering, tissue damage and permanent scarring have taken place.
Those who have been hit by an airbag should keep an eye out for skin-irritation signs, which can include redness and swelling.
In addition, thermal burns are possible since a significant amount of heat is generated when airbags are inflated, and skin that is exposed at the time may be burned by that.
Abrasions
An abrasion takes place when the skin’s surface is scraped or even rubbed away as a result of friction that occurred. Since airbags deploy and expand so fast, they can cause this type of injury.
The severity of an abrasion can vary significantly. In one case, it can involve some redness and tenderness that goes away relatively quickly. But in another, the abrasion may result in raw skin, tremendous swelling and a considerable amount of pain. In the long term, discoloration and scarring are possible.
Also keep in mind that abrasions can get infected if they are not taken care of.
Hearing Loss
When airbags are deployed, a brief-but-very-loud noise and pressure change occur, and that noise and acoustic pressure could cause hearing loss, which is normally temporary but can become permanent. That is because the eardrum and inner ear’s delicate structures can be damaged by airbags.
Other potential issues related to the ears include hearing ringing or buzzing and experiencing ear pain and a plugged-ear sensation, which can make someone feel like they are underwater in an auditory sense. All of these may be temporary or permanent.
What To Do After an Airbag Has Been Deployed
After an airbag has been deployed, look for any visible injuries suffered by you and others who have also been impacted by airbags or, in the case of a crash or similar circumstances, were affected in other ways. Also assess your ability to breathe and if you are experiencing any discomfort in your neck and chest in particular.
Take videos and photographs of any visible injuries while noting, either in a recording or in written form, what you are experiencing and how you feel related to potentially affected parts of your body. Note that this step is important not just from a medical perspective but also from a legal one should you decide to seek legal assistance in relation to what occurred.
Also make sure to get medical attention right away, especially since some serious injuries are not always felt right away, both by their own nature and because you may be experiencing shock or a surge of adrenaline, both of which can mask other types of symptoms. Keep all related records.
Conclusion
Airbag deployment can cause a number of injuries. Yes, generally speaking, the use of airbags is much safer than not using one, but there are, in fact, instances when they can cause significant injuries on their own. Sometimes, that is the result of a person or company being negligent.
And note that another complicating factor is that it can sometimes be difficult to discern what injuries were caused by a crash and what were instead specifically caused by an airbag.
In any case, if you have suffered from an airbag-related injury, make sure to get it medically treated, and consider seeking legal assistance in relation to what happened in order to determine if a person or company was at fault.