- Client Reviews
In the early 1970s, Ford Motor cars unveiled a fleet of cars with an experimental safety device. Presently, airbags are a commonplace safety device featured in newer model vehicles with some providing multiple types of airbags for additional passenger and driver safety.
Patents for airbags date back to the early 1950s but it wasn’t until the 1970s that manufacturers began to test out these new safety devices. By 1988 one car company was offering airbags as standard equipment.
The use of such safety devices has saved many lives and in Ontario, more than 2,500 traffic crashes involved the use of airbags. Although these devices have aided in decreasing the types of injuries a person may sustain there are dangers to airbag deployment and occasionally an airbag may not deploy at the time of an accident due to a vehicle malfunction.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to airbag deployment after a car accident, or lack thereof, the victim may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, and more.
Fill out the FREE CASE REVIEW form to your right for a no-cost, no-obligation review of your car accident claim its strictly confidential.
Types of Airbags
Most commonly airbags are thought to only be available to those seated in the front of the vehicle as front-side airbags will usually deploy from the dashboard and steering wheel of a vehicle. Since the 1980s though there have been a number of advancements in the airbag industries and modern cars are equipped with multiple airbags.
Some common types of airbags include:
Side – Side airbags include curtain and torso bags. Torso bags are usually situated in the seat and were placed there in order to reduce abdominal and pelvic injuries. Curtain airbags began being offered in the late 1990s and were the first door-mounted airbags. These types of airbags reduce the risk of head injuries during side-impact crashes and some even have rollover sensors that will detect if a vehicle begins to roll after a collision.
Knee – These airbags are usually situated underneath the steering wheel and glove compartment and can protect a driver or passenger from suffering knee injuries such as bruising or breaking a bone.
Rear – Includes rear-center and rear-window airbags which can prevent backseat passengers from colliding with one another and from the back window during a rear-end collision.
Motorcycle – Introduced in the mid-2000s, these types of airbags are only available in some types of motorcycles and are believed to lessen the energy of the cyclist moving forward and reduce the velocity they may be thrown at from the motorcycle.
Seatbelt – Available in only certain makes and models, seatbelt airbags could decrease the risk of seatbelt injuries during a car collision.
Pedestrian – Introduced in 2012, Volvo created airbags that would deploy when a driver hits a pedestrian. It is believed that these airbags could decrease the number of injuries a pedestrian may experience during an accident.
Airbag Injuries
Although more and more airbags have begun being implemented in vehicles in an effort to reduce the number of injuries people may suffer during a car collision, it could lead to more people suffering serious airbag injuries.
Some common types of airbag injuries include:
- Burns
- Skin Abrasions
- Rashes
- Bruising
- Facial Injuries
- Damage to the Eyes
Most airbag injuries are caused by the sudden inflation of the bag and the chemicals used to deploy the airbag. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, airbags have been the cause of more than 170 fatalities in the United States since 1990.
Injuries from airbags may be reduced by providing adequate room between yourself and the area of deployment.
Contact Our Lawyers Today
Airbag deployment whether during a small or large car collision can be frightening, particularly for those who have never been in a collision before. If you or a loved one has suffered from airbag injuries during an accident with a negligent driver, the victim may be entitled to compensation.
The personal injury barristers at Greg Monforton & Partners understand how frustrating it can be to deal with injuries caused by someone else’s carelessness which is why we are dedicated to fighting for the rights of the injured. Since 1981 we have opened our doors to accident injury victims throughout the Windsor, Ontario area, proudly serving the following towns and cities:
- London
- Toronto
- Hamilton
- Niagara
- Oakville
- Mississauga
and many more surrounding areas. To learn more about your legal rights and how our lawyers can help you fight for the MAXIMUM amount of compensation you deserve, contact us at (866) 320-4770 or locally at (519) 258-6490. Your initial case consultation is completely free of charge.
You can also contact us online. Simply fill out the FREE CASE REVIEW form at the top right hand corner of this page and your information will be reviewed right away.