Airbag & Seatbelt Defects

Injuries Caused by Auto Defects

Alabama Product Liability Attorneys

On this page:

• Air Bag Injuries
• Seatbelt and Seat Failures
• Child Car Seat Design Defects
• Safety Tips
• Airbag and Seatbelt Litigation

Safety features on motor vehicles have come a long way since the days when lap belts were the only protection. Still, thousands of people are needlessly injured every year when the products designed to save us from harm either fail or cause injuries themselves.

The information on this page is designed to inform you of your rights and educate you about safety restraints. It is not a substitute for qualified legal representation. If a family member was seriously injured because of an auto defect, please contact the Alabama auto and truck product liability attorneys of Gulas & Stuckey, P.C. for a free case evaluation. We have obtained numerous verdicts and settlements in claims against automobile manufacturers.

Air Bag Injuries
You may have a claim for damages against a manufacturer, installer, or distributor for the following injuries to you or a passenger:

• Airbag failure to deploy — resulting in death, or injury to the head, neck, face, or chest when striking the steering wheel or dashboard unabated
• Airbag deployed too early, or at low impact — resulting in whiplash/neck sprain, spinal injury, chest injury, or shoulder injury
• Airbag burns or lacerations to the face, chest, or head

Contrary to popular belief, airbags are not intended to prevent injuries at highway speeds. While offering some protection in a high-speed crash, Supplemental Safety Restraints (SRS or airbags) are designed for maximum protection at 25 mph. (The industry is moving toward a standard of 30 mph.) The reason airbags are not designed for higher speeds is the explosive force upon deployment. If an airbag was designed for 60 mph impact, but deployed in a 25 mph collision, the forceful inflation could actually snap the neck.

Seat Belt Failure

There are two common defects of seat belts leading to injury:

• Latch failure — the seatbelt comes loose and fails to restrain the driver or passenger
• Spool-out — the shoulder harness fails to catch at impact

Both failures can result in major injury or fatality as the upper torso or the whole body is propelled forward into the steering wheel, dash, or seatback (rear seat passengers).

In some collisions, the seat itself may come loose from its moorings because of a manufacturing or design defect, crushing the person against the front of the car.

Child Car Seats
Despite improvements in engineering, many infant car seats, toddler car seats, and booster seats for older children are potentially dangerous to children. The design of belts, clips, latches, locking mechanisms, and chest harnesses can lead to strangulation and cervical injury or severe injuries if the seat comes loose or twists violently to one side.

Safety Tips

• Shorter drivers and passengers are especially at risk for airbag deployment injury, because the bag inflates at such an angle that it snaps the neck back. All occupants should sit at least 10 inches back from the air bag to minimize injury.
• Avoid letting children ride in the front seat. They are safest in the back seat in an approved child car seat. If your child must ride in front, he or she should be secured in a booster car seat and wear the shoulder harness. (Some cars have a key slot to turn off the passenger side airbags for children or shorter passengers.)
• Babies should never be placed in a rear-facing infant car seat in the front seat. Airbag deployment has killed a number of infants. Again, the back seat is best.
• Adjust head rests to just below your ears for maximum protection against whiplash and spinal cord damage.
• Airbags are not a substitute for seat belts. All occupants should fasten the lap belt and shoulder harness for every trip.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists current and previous automobile recalls and car seat recalls. Find out if there are any known defects regarding your vehicle's safety features or child car seat

Airbag and Seatbelt Litigation
Gulas & Stuckey, P.C. has sued major U.S. manufacturers, as well as body shops that install airbags. We have the knowledge, resources, and trial skills to pursue personal injury or wrongful death compensation in these complex cases.

To prove liability, we must show that the manufacturing company or supplier was negligent in one of three ways:

• Design defect — the product or vehicle is inherently unsafe due to poor engineering
• Manufacturing defect — the product was improperly installed, or the materials or manufacturing methods were substandard
• Failure to warn — the company failed in an obligation to advise the consumer of likely risks for foreseeable uses: missing warning labels, missing or misleading instructions

Victims can collect for current and future medical bills, lost wages and future earnings, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and loss of consortium with family. In wrongful death claims, the estate of the deceased can sue for lost economic contributions, lost contributions to the family, and loss of companionship/consortium, as well as medical and funeral expenses.

Contact our product liability lawyers about your injury from an Alabama auto or truck accident. In a free case evaluation, we can gauge the strength of your possible claim and advise you about your legal options.