Many people in North and South Carolina are unaware of how hazardous and common defective air bags are in auto accident injuries. Even if you keep up with product recalls and pay attention to the news, you still might not realize just how much damage a defective air bag can do. In this post, we’ll discuss a couple of examples of actual auto accident injuries in South Carolina that resulted from defective air bags.
Examples of Actual Air Bag Injuries
Not long ago, a young South Carolina woman was injured by a defective air bag that exploded. The air bag, manufactured by Takata Corporation, was later recalled due to many other similar events. In another case, a man’s air bag failed to deploy on time, so that he was too close to the steering wheel when it did. This caused such a significant amount of scarring and disfigurement to his face that the victim was left feeling depressed and hopeless, and ultimately took his own life. In another case, the air bag worked as intended, but resulted in the death of a child in the front seat.
How Air Bag Injuries Typically Occur
The purpose of air bags is to prevent and minimize the injuries that occur in an auto accident. However, if they do not function properly, they can cause or exacerbate your injuries. Defective air bags may cause injuries through a delayed response due to defective deceleration sensors. They can also cause injuries by deploying too quickly, or when they are not needed. Then, there are defective air bags that inflate too much or too little. Some defective air bags inflate in the wrong space in the vehicle, and others simply explode. If your airbag was defective, then you may have a personal injury claim against the manufacturer, as in the case of the Takata Corporation recall.
Types of Injuries Caused by Air Bags in South Carolina Auto Accidents
Even if you’re aware of the potential hazards of defective air bags, you might be surprised to learn about the vast number of ways that a person can be injured in an auto accident. For most people, when they think of air bag injuries, they think of injuries to the face. However, there are also injuries to the neck, like whiplash, and to the head, like concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Air bag injuries can even cause blindness and deafness, in addition to facial scarring and disfigurement, spinal injuries, burns, broken bones, and cardiac injuries.
What Can You Do About Air Bag Injuries in South Carolina Auto Accidents?
If you or someone you love has been injured, disfigured, or even killed by an air bag injury, then you can seek legal advice and representation to pursue damages from the at -ault party, no matter whether that is the manufacturer or the at-fault driver. The determined South Carolina auto accident legal team at Elrod Pope Law Firm will provide a free consultation to help you to explore your options and seek the compensation you deserve.
