You can expect your airbags to deploy if you are involved in a car accident that produces considerable impact. The idea is to provide a buffer that helps minimize the injuries you sustain and protect you to the degree possible from slamming against your vehicle’s interior. If your airbags don’t inflate, however, you’re far more vulnerable to being seriously injured in a car accident, and this defect can significantly contribute to the losses you experience. You may wonder why didn’t my airbags deploy in my crash. Keep reading to learn more.

Consulting with a dedicated Georgia car accident attorney who has extensive experience successfully handling accidents that involve defective airbags is the best course of action.

Airbag Overview

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that airbags save lives. In fact, from 1987 to 2017, 50,457 lives were saved by airbags when deployed effectively. According to Science ABC, airbags take – on average – 0.120 seconds to fully deploy, making them so effective. If yours fails to inflate, however, your seatbelt will only be your only protection from the full force of the accident’s impact.

The Injury-Causing Accident

If your injuries are the result of another driver’s negligence, you can seek compensation for the losses you experience as a result of his or her negligence, including:

  • Damage to your vehicle
  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering

If the fact that your airbag doesn’t inflate exacerbates your injuries, you can also seek compensation from the responsible party (which may be the car manufacturer, the airbag supplier, or another third party). Suppose the accident involves only your car or the result of another driver’s negligence, and you incur serious injuries because of a faulty airbag. In that case, you can seek compensation via a product liability claim predicated solely on that third party’s negligence.

When Airbags Are Designed to Deploy

While they are not designed to inflate in every accident, airbags should typically deploy in accidents that range from moderate to severe. Issues that can interfere with an airbag’s ability to deploy and protect you in a crash include:

  • Defective crash sensors
  • Computer activation problems
  • Replacement issues (replace airbags after every deployment)

Additional issues can arise when the sensors misread the accident’s severity or when airbags are off because the sensors mistakenly detect a child or small person in the seat being protected.

You Need an Experienced Georgia Car Accident Attorney in Your Corner

The savvy Georgia car accident attorneys at Banks, Stubbs & McFarland have reservoirs of experience successfully guiding complicated claims like yours toward favorable resolutions. If another driver’s negligence causes you to be injured and a faulty airbag makes the matter much more serious, our accomplished legal team is on your side and here to help. To learn more about what we can do for you, please don’t put off filling out our online contact form or calling us at 404-301-7980 today.