If your airbags did not deploy during a car accident, you might be wondering what went wrong. Airbags don’t deploy all the time but should be under certain circumstances. Learning more about airbag deployment can help you recover damages after a car accident.
Airbags are additional safety measures that every car must have. They deploy at certain speeds and forces. That means that they don’t always deploy, even if you’re unbelted or your car is rear-ended.
However, if they are defective, they won’t deploy under any circumstances. If defective airbags worsened your injuries in a car accident, you could sue a car manufacturer for compensatory damages.
Rice, Murtha & Psoras wants you to get the compensation you deserve. Our team will aim to prove that a car manufacturer’s negligence resulted in defective airbags. To schedule a free case evaluation, call the Baltimore car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291.
Why Should Airbags Deploy During a Car Accident?
Airbags are designed to cushion passengers and prevent further injury during a car accident. Depending on the force and location of an accident, passengers are at risk for severe injury. Airbags should inflate quickly at impact and protect passengers. They’re an important safety feature in any car.
Airbags must deploy to keep passengers from hitting their car’s interior or hitting the windshield. Although the force of an airbag can cause slight injuries or bruises, it’s much better than the alternative.
Airbags have an impact sensor that, when triggered, causes the bag to inflate quickly and expose itself. Depending on the make and model of your car, your airbag sensor may be triggered by different levels of force.
Airbags are required in all passenger cars and trucks and must be located on the driver’s and passenger’s sides of the front of a vehicle. Some cars even have backseat airbags as well. Airbags can only deploy once, so you must replace them after a car accident.
Will Airbags Deploy If I Am Wearing a Seatbelt During a Car Accident?
Although seatbelts are a safety measure just like airbags, wearing one will not prevent an airbag from deploying during a car accident. However, when seatbelts are engaged, an airbag may not deploy when collisions happen at certain speeds.
Airbags should deploy for collisions that happen around 12 miles per hour when passengers are unbelted. When passengers are belted, airbags should deploy during car accidents at around 16 miles per hour. That’s because seatbelts restrain passengers enough at those slow speeds.
However, if you are belted or unbelted and are in an accident at high speeds where an airbag did not deploy, that’s unacceptable. If that happens to you, an attorney, like the Maryland car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, can help you gain compensation for an accident where your airbags did not deploy, whether you were belted or not.
Will Airbags Deploy During a Car Accident If They’re Defective?
Drivers rely on car providers for proficient airbags. If airbags are defective and you aren’t aware, you may be seriously injured in a car accident. Defective airbags can happen for several reasons, which are important to know.
If your airbags are defective, they may not deploy during a car accident. Airbags have impact sensors that trigger deployment. If the impact sensor itself is faulty, the airbags are defective.
An impact sensor should deploy airbags when your vehicle quickly stops. Fast deceleration doesn’t mean stepping on your breaks quickly. It’s the force of impact. Losing that ability can prevent your airbags from deploying during a car accident.
Other issues that can stop airbag deployment include:
- Broken inflators
- Manufacturing errors
- Design errors
Your car may have a light that turns on when airbags are no longer working. However, not all states require airbags to get checked during car inspections. If there is an issue with your airbags that happened during manufacturing, you may not know until they fail to deploy during a car accident.
Defective airbags can endanger you and your family. If an airbag did not deploy during a car accident and caused greater injury to you, you may be able to sue.
Experienced attorneys, like the Columbia car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, can hold negligent manufacturers accountable for your injuries. Victims could sue a car manufacturer if defective airbags worsened their injuries during a car accident.
Will Airbags Deploy During a Fender-Bender?
Not all car accidents happen head-on. Fender-benders, or being hit from behind, can still cause injuries, though rarely cause airbags to deploy.
If you were injured in a rear collision and your airbags did not deploy, that may be because of a defect.
Airbags are very forceful. When cars are hit from behind, airbags deploying may cause more damage. As a result, airbags may not deploy during a fender-bender or even a more severe rear-end collision.
Unfortunately, that may cause injuries to drivers or passengers. Wearing your seatbelt at all times can protect you from injuries in cases where your airbags do not deploy, like rear-end collisions.
Can I Sue If My Airbags Don’t Deploy During a Car Accident?
Many drivers rely on airbags to protect them during a car accident. If airbags don’t deploy when they should, you may sustain serious injuries. If it’s found that your airbags were defective, you may be able to sue the car manufacturer for compensation.
Negligence on behalf of a car manufacturer can result in injury to drivers. Faulty designs or defective airbags may not deploy during even the most severe car accidents.
When that happens, you can file a lawsuit against the manufacturer. However, some injured victims may not realize that their airbags did not deploy during a car accident. Speaking to an experienced attorney can help you learn your options and the best path to compensation.
Skilled attorneys, like the Ocean City car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, can help you seek compensatory damages from a car manufacturer. If a car manufacturer’s negligence resulted in ineffective or faulty airbags, they could be liable for your injuries after a car accident.
Our Attorneys Can Help If Your Airbags Did Not Deploy During a Car Accident
If defective airbags fail to protect you or a loved one during a car accident, you can seek compensation from the manufacturer. For a free case evaluation, call the Towson car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.