Airbags are safety mechanisms installed in vehicles that deploy instantly in the event of a crash. Defective air bags can result in injuries over and above those sustained in the accident itself.

While air bag systems are not designed in a manner to deploy during crash, there are certain crashes where the air bag must fire. Some airbags deploy incorrectly so they become missiles aimed t the chest, head and face of the person they are supposed to protect. In those cases, the airbag itself can cause an injury that the wreck did not.

There are three principal categories of air bag cases. The first involves the automobile manufacturer's failure to install air bags in the vehicle. The second category involves the failure of installed air bags to deploy. The third category involves air bag deployment in low severity crashes that cause injury or death. This category is the most common form of air bag liability case, and can involve either a default in the design of the air bag, a defect in the manufacture of the air bag, or the manufacturer's failure to include appropriate instructions and warnings regarding the use of the air bag in the vehicle, thus causing the driver or passenger to fail to use their seat belts or to fail to position themselves appropriately for a possible air bag deployment.

Defective air bags are known to cause brain damage, primal injury, severe brain stems, burst hearts, broken necks, facial bone fractures, upper extremities injuries and disfigurement.

Defective air bags include aggressively incompetent air bags, airbags without tethers, venting and folding defects, and failure to incorporate technology. Many car manufacturers rushed to install air bags to obtain a marketing advantage over their competitors. For this reason, a lot of air bags were put on the road with inadequate testing.

Tethers are straps sewn inside the air bag which physically prevent the air bag from extending all the way to the occupants face and eyes. Untethered air nags are quite capable of causing serious injury. Eyes injuries are often the result of air bags slapping the face due to lack of tethers.

Oversized airbags also deploy far into the occupants space which can result in severe head injuries, brain damage and even decapitation. Sometimes, a defective electrical system or sensors cause an airbag to unnecessarily deploy on ignition or can result in the air bag failing to deploy when necessary.

When an air bag malfunctions and causes injury the injured person may have a products liability claim against the manufacturer, supplier, distributor or retailer of the airbag. Preserve the vehicle and do not repair it. Collision damage, marks, blood, component deformation and air bag markings can constitute useful evidence in preparing your case. Photograph the vehicle, photograph the injuries and compile the records.

An auto accident lawyer specializing in injuries caused by defective air bags can help you recover damages from the air bag or car manufacturer, structure a settlement so that you will be provided for in the future, and determine if you are eligible for other benefits.