Airbags are a necessity for any modern vehicle. These deploy and protect you from the impact of a catastrophic accident as well as ensure you’re not ejected from a car which lessens your chances of suffering serious injuries. That being said, there are a lot of misconceptions about airbags that we’d like to clear up in this post.
1. Airbags Aren’t Made of ‘Air’
A lot of people take the term ‘airbag’ literally. The truth, however, is entirely different. Airbags, upon sensing a collision, release two gases, potassium nitrate and sodium azide, causing the bag to quickly expand. This then leads to the bag filling up and ejecting from the compartment where it’s stored within seconds.
2. Airbags Can Harm Children
Children, with their smaller bodies and soft bones as well as underdeveloped organs aren’t suited for airbags. This is because the force with which these deploy can be so powerful that they can lead to broken bones, head trauma and internal injuries. Because of this, you should never allow children to ride in the front of the car with you. For toddlers and babies, you want to make sure they are in back-facing car seats.
3. Airbags Shouldn’t Be Your Only Protector
Just because you know your car has intelligent airbags doesn’t mean that you should depend on them to do the job. This is because the force with which they deploy, should you not be strapped in, could lead to you being ejected from a car or suffering serious injuries due to whiplash from your body coming into contact with the airbag. Always get into the habit of wearing a seatbelt regardless of how near or far you’re traveling.
My Airbag Didn’t Deploy – Can I Sue?
We get this question a lot from would-be clients. The circumstances surrounding your airbag’s failure to deploy are key when it comes to accidents that are compounded by a non-functional airbag. If you have a car fitted with defective Takata airbags, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Otherwise, you’ll have to provide expert engineering testimony regarding why the airbags didn’t deploy, as well as expert medical testimony stating that you wouldn’t have been injured in the manner that you were had the airbags been deployed properly.