What if My Airbags Don’t Deploy Properly in a Car Accident? 4 Big Reasons This Can Happen

Studies show that front airbags reduce driver fatalities in frontal crashes by 29 percent, and fatalities of front-seat passengers aged 13 and older by 32 percent.  

In fact, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that frontal airbags saved 50,457 lives throughout the duration of a 30-year period. That’s about max capacity at Dodger Stadium, and about two and a half times the size of a sold out Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), airbags are “inflatable cushions built into a vehicle that protect occupants from hitting the vehicle interior or objects outside the vehicle during a collision”.

The severity of a crash is measured by sensors. If severe enough, inflators will fill the bags with gas and they will deploy. 

They’ve no doubt had a high success rate of saving lives and preventing injuries. However, there are times when airbags may fail to deploy properly, or at all. 

A top cause may be due to defective airbags. This could be from improper design or other manufacturing defects. It’s important to pay attention to potential recalls or repairs needing to ensure proper airbag deployment. 

It’s also possible that the crash did not trigger the airbag sensors. This can be dependent on the type of crash you find yourself in.  For example, front airbags may not deploy if there is a rear end collision.

If you were previously in an accident with the same car, or bought a used car, and don’t have the airbags replaced, it’s likely they won’t be deployed properly. It’s recommended that car owners have the airbags replaced after deployment.  

A terrifying incident may be from counterfeit airbags. While the NHTSA reports that fake airbags affect less than 0.1 percent of cars in the US, it’s still within the realm of possibility. 

How does this happen? Let’s say someone decides to replace airbags by themselves, using gear they bought from the Internet. 

Just like one can purchase fake concert tickets or purses, they can unintentionally get bad airbags from counterfeiters.

Who is liable if your airbags don’t deploy? There are different potential parties that may be found negligent, including the manufacturer, or even the person you bought a used car from.

You would have to prove negligence in any case. For example, an airbag in your used car was ineffective, you must show that the owner of the car did not provide adequate or new bags before the vehicle was purchased. 

If you get in a car accident and your airbags fail to properly deploy, you should follow the same steps after any other car crash. When it comes to taking photos and videos, be sure to gather media of the airbags, or lack thereof. 

If you were in an automobile accident and didn’t have proper airbag deployment, contact the LA and Burbank Law offices at C&B Law Group.  Not having strong enough deployment or no deployment at all in a serious car accident could lead to insufferable injuries, both mentally and physically. 

Common injuries following improper airbag deployment may include:

• Neck damage ranging from chronic pain to serious injury
• Broken bones and fractures
• Head injuries ranging from concussions to other traumatic brain injuries
• Cuts that can scar the skin or damage muscle
• Back damage ranging from herniated discs to cracked vertebrae
• Internal injuries like bleeding or organ damage
• Wrongful death

You may be able to recover damages including:

• Past and present medical expenses 
• Loss of wages 
• Pain and suffering

Contact the Los Angeles area attorneys at C&B Law Group about your free consultation. You won’t pay us unless we win.

We have a 99 percent success rate of settling cases. Give us a ring today!