Airbag Injuries

If you own a vehicle that is airbag-equipped then you probably entrust a lot in the safety of this device. Airbags are intended to provide protection during times of collisions where a vehicle strikes an object in the road, other stationary object, or another vehicle on the road. The last thing one would think is that this safety feature would instead be the cause of an injury.

How Airbags Work

The first thing that takes place during airbag deployment is the collision between the vehicle and another object. After this initial collision the second collision occurs in which the occupants of the vehicles collide with the vehicle’s interior. It is during this collision that the airbag is intended to deploy. After the airbag is deployed, the bag goes into immediate deflation after the occupant collides with it.

If the airbag sensors are entirely too insensitive to collision then collisions which may cause minor damage will not result in airbag deployment. On the other hand, if the sensor is too sensitive, the airbag will deploy during extremely minor collisions, which could result in injury.

The timing is just as important as the sensors are. The timing must be set so that maximum inflation occurs during the second collision where the occupant ejects forward into the steering wheel or dashboard. If inflation occurs too soon, then deflation will occur just as the occupant falls forward, causing serious injury. Similarly, an injury could occur if the airbag deployed too late.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been injured due to a faulty airbag deployment system, contact the Des Moines auto accident attorneys of LaMarca & Landry, P.C. at 877-327-2600 today.