
We Are Available 24/7 866.675.4427

Dangerous Airbag Malfunctions

Airbags are meant to save your life, but what happens when they malfunction?

To put things into perspective, airbag injuries and deaths are relatively rare. On their website, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports data from an 18-year span showing over 290 deaths related to frontal airbags during that time period. In most of those cases, the passenger also wasn't using a seat belt or was otherwise not restrained properly; also, the vehicles tended to be older.

At the same time, it's important to remember that airbags save thousands of lives and also reduce the chances of fatality on the road.

But what happens when an airbag is seriously defective?

A recent article from the New York Times starts off with the death of a woman who seemed to have stab wounds in her neck. As it turns out, it wasn't a knife that caused those wounds; it was shrapnel from an exploded airbag in her Honda Accord.

As reported in the article:

Ms. Tran became at least the third death associated with the mushrooming recalls of vehicles containing defective air bags made by Takata... More than 14 million vehicles from 11 automakers that contain the air bags have been recalled worldwide.

In addition to the deaths, these defective airbags have also been linked to dozens of injuries. Both Honda and Takata have been criticized for not taking action quickly enough to warn the public about these dangers and issue recalls.

One reason it's important for Floridians to be aware of this issue is that these airbags are more likely to explode in climates with high humidity.

If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to contact an experienced Martin County personal injury attorney. Companies should be held accountable for the quality and potential dangers of their products.