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Most vehicles on the road have airbags. In the 90s, the only airbags were in the front passenger dashboard and the steering wheel. Now, most newer vehicles also have airbags on the sides of the vehicle to help protect anyone in the backseat.
If your airbag doesn’t deploy, who is actually responsible? Below, a car accident lawyer shares the answer to this question along with:
- When your airbag should deploy
- Whether you may be entitled to compensation
- How to stay in the know about airbag safety
Let’s get started by first learning about when your airbag should deploy.
When Should An Airbag Deploy?
The time an airbag should deploy depends on a couple of factors, including speed and impact. However, the purpose of the airbags in the front is to protect you during a “moderate to severe” front end accident according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA also defines this type of crash as if someone were to impact with a fixed barrier between 8 and 15 miles per hour. The page further explains that this is roughly the same as hitting a similarly sized vehicle between 16 to 28 mph or faster.
So, what about side airbags? According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), side airbags deploy when there is an impact to the side of the vehicle in some way. Federal law provides that side airbags provide a certain amount of protection.
What if your airbag should have deployed and didn’t?
Who Is Actually Responsible If Your Airbag Doesn’t Deploy?
Because airbags are regulated by law, you may have specific legal rights if your airbag should have deployed and didn’t as our friends at Herschensohn Law Firm, PLLC can share. As of July 2024, there is an ongoing airbag class action lawsuit against Takata.
In addition to an airbag manufacturer being held responsible for the bag not deploying appropriately, the car manufacturer or other person or place that installed the airbags may also be liable if the airbag doesn’t properly deploy.
Is Compensation Available?
For certain fact scenarios related to defective airbags, compensation may be available. Compensation may include and may not be limited to:
- Missed time from work
- Expenses related to injuries caused by the airbag not deploying or deploying without the right factor
- Pain and suffering
- Damages done to the vehicle
Stay In The Know On Airbag Safety
Don’t miss out. Stay in the know about airbag safety. First, determine if your car has a recall because of the airbag. If it does, you should get it repaired as soon as possible. Second, learn more about the airbag safety lawsuits happening. You may be entitled to compensation if you’ve been injured because of an airbag.
If you are involved in an accident and your airbags do not deploy, reach out to a lawyer near you immediately for help. They will be able to determine what happened and how much compensation you are entitled to for your pain and suffering from the malfunction.