Airbag injuries are unfortunately common. While airbags are supposed to help keep drivers and passengers safe during collisions, in some cases airbags cause injuries that would not otherwise have occurred. This can happen for a variety of reasons, from delayed airbag deployment (or failure to deploy) to airbag explosions that send dangerous gases and debris flying throughout the cabin. In Illinois, victims of airbag injuries have clear legal rights, and our lawyers rely on decades of experience to help victims seek the financial compensation they deserve.
How do you know if you have a claim for an airbag injury after a car accident? Some of the most common airbag injuries include:
Concussions are certainly among the most common airbag injuries. Even when airbags deploy properly, they do so with extreme force. To protect vehicle occupants, airbags need to deploy in less than 1/20th of a second—or roughly the blink of an eye. During inflation, an airbag expands at up to 200 miles per hour, and it exerts upwards of 2,000 pounds of force on the driver or passenger. If an airbag explodes rather than deploying properly, the speeds and forces involved can be even greater.
These forces are more than enough to cause a concussion. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that is most often caused by blunt-force trauma to the head. While concussions are classified as a “mild” form of TBI, they can still have serious and long-term consequences.
Neck injuries are also common in car accidents involving airbag deployment. In addition to causing trauma to the brain, the extreme speed and force of an airbag’s deployment can also cause trauma to the neck. Whiplash is a common airbag-related injury, and dangerous airbags can cause sprains, strains, tears, nerve damage, and various other types of neck injuries as well.
The long-term risks (and costs) associated with airbag-related neck injuries depend on the nature and severity of the trauma involved. In some cases, rest and recuperation will be enough to facilitate a full recovery. But, in others, drivers and passengers will suffer permanent consequences. Regardless of the costs you are facing, if you have suffered an airbag-related neck injury, you should consult with a lawyer about your legal rights promptly.
Airbags also frequently cause facial injuries. This includes injuries to the eyes, ears, nose, and jaw. In particular, exploding airbags can cause abrasions, fractures, and internal damage that present risks for permanent disfigurement and/or permanent complications.
Frontal airbags are designed to protect the head, neck, and chest. But, just as airbags can cause head and neck injuries, they can also cause chest injuries. Rib fractures, chest wall injuries, collapsed lungs, internal bleeding, and myocardial contusions are all very real risks in car accidents involving airbag deployment.
Along with the chest injuries we just mentioned, dangerous airbags can cause various other forms of internal trauma as well. Getting hit by an airbag involves even more force than getting tackled by an NFL linebacker. Of course, when you are driving or riding in a car, you aren’t wearing football pads, and you aren’t expecting to get hit. These factors combined can present risks for several types of internal injuries, including internal bleeding and damage to the neck, chest, and abdomen.
Internal injuries from airbags can be especially dangerous. Oftentimes, car accident victims will not experience symptoms of these injuries right away. Going days (or longer) without treatment can allow these injuries to worsen—creating additional challenges for recovery and potentially leading to life-altering or life-threatening risks. With this in mind, any time you are involved in a car accident that results in airbag deployment, it is important to make sure you receive a comprehensive diagnosis.
Common airbag injuries also include lacerations and burns. Most airbags are made of an abrasive material; and, when this material scrapes across the skin at hundreds of miles per hour, it can cause significant injuries. If an airbag explodes instead of deploying properly, the gases and debris ejected during the explosion can present serious risks for disfiguring injuries as well.
Did you suffer serious airbag-related injuries in a car accident in Illinois? If so, our lawyers are prepared to fight for the financial compensation you deserve. Coplan + Crane have helped accident victims in Chicago and beyond for years. We are committed to helping you recover the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Contact Coplan + Crane today online or at 708-358-8080 to schedule a FREE case evaluation. We welcome clients from across Illinois, including Chicago, Oak Park, Rockford, and other areas. We handle these cases on a contingency basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win.
