Unsafe Air Bags Can Cause Serious Injuries

We trust that the safety measures implemented by auto parts manufacturers and automakers are done in the consumer’s best interest. Sometimes, however, errors are made in product design, manufacturing or distribution of those products and they result in serious injury to drivers and passengers.

Air bags are just one example of defective safety devices that can cause harm when designed improperly. For example, Takata air bags have been known to degrade over time, giving them the potential to explode and cause serious injury to drivers and passengers in the vehicle cabin.

Whether the negligence was intentional or not, your injury should not be yours to handle alone. A product liability claim can help you recover what you need.

Air Bag Recalls And Your Claim

Air bags, also known as the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), provide vehicle occupants protection in combination with seat belts. In moderate to severe frontal and side-impact car crashes, sensors in the vehicle trigger the SRS to inflate, or deploy, the air bag. Air bags are designed to protect an occupant’s upper body, including the head, neck, torso and extremities, from hitting the interior of the vehicle in an accident. When air bags fail to inflate in high-speed crashes or deploy in low-speed impacts, motorists can suffer serious injuries or death.

In May 2015, nearly 34 million vehicles with air bags supplied by Takata Corp. were recalled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and auto manufacturers in the United States. The recall was prompted by numerous reports that Takata air bags were exploding in motor vehicle crashes and sending metal fragments through the air bag cushion material, resulting in injury to vehicle occupants. At least eight deaths and many serious eye injuries and puncture wounds have been linked to this defect to date.

Were You Injured By An Unsafe Air Bag?

If you feel you have been injured due to problems with the operation of a vehicle air bag or if you were involved in a car crash where the air bag may have caused or contributed to injuries or death, please contact the trial lawyers at Pfaff, Gill & Ports, Ltd., for a free consultation.

Call us in Chicago at 312-638-2407 or send us an email.