Airbag Injuries

Overview: Las Vegas Airbag Injury Risks

While, in general, airbags are a lifesaving device and prevent thousands of injuries each year, in some cases, they can cut against their original intent and cause harm. When airbags are improperly installed, improperly maintained, are faulty, or when manufacturers or installers have concealed known defects, they can cause serious injuries.

Airbags can cause a number of injuries, mainly to those in the driver and front passenger seat of the vehicle. Injuries to the eyes and face are common, as well as the hands, wrists, and arms. Airbags can also cause traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other injuries to the head.

Sometimes, airbags can also cause injuries when they fail to deploy at all or when they deploy incorrectly. Babies and toddlers are particularly susceptible to airbags that do not turn off properly, and adults can be severely injured by airbags that fail to deploy.

Common Airbag Injuries and Airbag Related Injuries

A number of injuries are common when related to airbags in traffic accidents. The most common include:

• Injuries to the face: Lacerations, broken bones, including the nose and jaw, and dental damage.
• Eye injuries: Eye injuries can be particularly debilitating and can even include partial or total blindness.
• Injuries to the arms and hands: These are sometimes called defensive injuries, and result from people attempting to protect themselves from the explosion of the airbag or car crash.
• Head and brain injuries: These injuries can often be serious, and include traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and fractures.
• Spine and neck injuries: Airbags can often cause assorted spine and neck injuries that can be debilitating and include conditions such as whiplash.
• Psychological trauma: One of the most overlooked airbag injuries are conditions like severe anxiety and PTSD after facing an accident in Las Vegas involving an airbag.

If you or someone you love has suffered any of these injuries or other injuries related to faulty airbags, an expert Las Vegas airbag injury lawyer, like Adam S. Kutner, may be able to help you get justice and compensation.

Fast, Reliable, and Thorough Service for All Accident Victims

The days after a crash matter most. Our team is available 24 hours a day to respond quickly, coordinate treatment, and communicate with insurers. We handle every part of your case from start to finish, including paperwork, negotiations, and claim strategy, so you do not have to worry about missing a step. Fast, reliable, and thorough service is how we approach every auto injury case.

Typical Airbag Defects: Faulty Airbags and Airbag Defects

The most common faults associated with airbags are situations when they are deployed improperly. In some cases, that means the airbag inflates without a collision or fails to inflate when they should have.

In other cases, airbags deploy with excessive force that causes injuries, or sensors malfunction. Your airbags, and your automobile for that matter, should always be serviced by a licensed technician, preferably by someone certified by the manufacturer. Poorly serviced airbags can cause injuries and even death. 

You should also be aware of the Takata airbag recall, the largest automotive recall in history. If you have one of these airbags in your car, you should not drive the vehicle and immediately have it serviced.

Legal Options: Product Liability Claim and Car Accident Claims

When injured by an airbag in an auto accident, there are two different kinds of claims you may be entitled to: product liability claims, and standard car accident claims. These claims are each filed against different people or entities, and one claim does not preclude the other, meaning you may be able to sue both.

The first are car accident claims. These kinds of claims are generally filed against the driver of the vehicle or vehicles in the accident and their insurance companies, assuming they were at fault for the accident or your injuries. These are separate from claims from airbag manufacturers and can often be filed at the same time.

Product liability claims are claims made against airbag manufacturers, installers, and maintainers in the case that the airbag was somehow defective. In Nevada, manufacturers can be held liable for defective products, such as airbags. 

How an Airbag Injury Lawyer Proves Fault in Vegas 

Proving fault in airbag injuries is not as simple as it may seem. A good airbag injury attorney in Las Vegas will do a thorough investigation into the crash to determine how and why you were injured.

Your injury attorney may visit the scene of the accident, review saved data from the automobiles, and work with experts to determine whether the airbags deployed as designed. They may even subpoena internal communications from airbag manufacturers or maintenance people. 

Nevada uses a “strict liability doctrine” when it comes to products like airbags, meaning companies have to manufacture safe products and claimants do not need to show negligence to win.

Compensation and Damages for Airbag-Related Injuries

If you have been injured by a defective or improperly installed airbag in Nevada, there are three types of damages you may be entitled to: economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages.

Economic 

Economic damages are damages to which a dollar figure can be easily attached, such as medical bills, lost wages, repair costs, etc. In the case of accidents involving airbags, economic damages may include facial reconstruction, eye specialist fees, and lost income during recovery.

Non-Economic

Non-economic damages are damages for which a dollar amount may not be easily assigned, but are real nonetheless, such as pain and suffering. In airbag cases, non-economic damages may include permanent scarring, PTSD from the deployment blast, and the difficulty of having to deal with vision loss.

Punitive

Punitive damages are damages awarded to stop something from happening in the future. These damages are awarded when manufacturers have hidden known deployment defects. 

Steps To Take After an Airbag Injury in Las Vegas

If you’ve been injured, the first thing you should do is contact an attorney. Do not speak with insurers offering a settlement by yourself, and do not interact with the manufacturers or installers of airbags, as they may try to offer you less than you deserve.

You should also always seek medical attention after an accident, even if you feel fine, because many injuries only show up later. You should also preserve the vehicle and do not allow it to be serviced or scrapped.

Finally, document everything you can with photographs and video.

Why Choose Adam S. Kutner for Your Airbag Claim? 

Contact our airbag injury attorneys for a free consultation today.

Our firm has been voted best of Las Vegas for many years running, we have multiple locations to serve you, and we get results. We also treat all our clients with respect, and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing out of pocket, and we only get paid if you win.

Time is of the essence. Injuries from airbags fall under Nevada’s statute of limitations laws, meaning you only have a short time to file an injury claim after an accident. Don’t delay, call now.

If you’ve suffered a Las Vegas airbag injury, call Adam S. Kutner, Injury Attorneys, today to schedule a free consultation and case review.

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