Jacksonville Airbag Injury Lawyer

Airbag Risks

Airbags are one of a number of safety features on cars designed to minimize the risk of injury following a car accident. Unfortunately, they don’t always do what they are intended to do.

Airbags, when they were first designed and tested, were geared towards ensuring that someone who is 5’8″, male, and 180 pounds would be safe in an accident. Unfortunately for the automobile industry, a large number of people do not fit that description. This means that the airbags are geared towards a person who is either much larger or much smaller than the person who actually needs the airbag to help him or her.

As a result of the design of airbags, they do not help shorter people who sit closer to the steering wheel. Also, there has been no consideration of children or those with medical problems who are put in danger due to the airbags.

In any case, injuries from airbags are more prevalent than deaths. Unfortunately, the data is difficult to evaluate because accidents and injuries are reported on a voluntary basis. It also does not help that the people whose airbags deploy are in car accidents so, in many cases, the injuries are hard to decipher as being from the accident or the airbag.

When an airbag leaves its compartment, it leaves with roughly 1,200 pounds of force and at speeds exceeding 230 miles per hour. This provides enough force to cause injuries to the neck and cause broken bones. In current airbags, a female driver is not going to receive a net protective effect unless she is driving at a speed above the range of 32-38 miles per hour.

In 2012, “advanced airbags” are expected to hit the market. These airbags will come with features in the car with supplemental restraint systems. They have been tested as safe for women, children, and the standard male.

If you have been injured by an airbag, contact Jacksonville airbag injury lawyer Donald Guthrie at 904-296-1088 to discuss your situation and to determine your legal options.